Winter Melon Soup

Name: Winter Melon Soup
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1 kg Winter Melon, yields about 700 g once peeled and seeded, cut into 3 cm chunks; 500g Pork Spare Ribs, cut into 3–4 cm pieces; 1.8 l Water; 15g Dried Shrimp, rinsed and soaked 10 minutes; 20g Shiitake Mushrooms, dried, soaked until soft, stems removed, thickly sliced; 20g Ginger, sliced (6–8 slices); 1 tbsp Shaoxing Wine; 1 1/2 tsp Salt, fine, or to taste; 1/4 tsp Ground White Pepper; 2 Scallions, finely sliced; Some Cilantro Sprigs, small handful (optional)

A soothing, crystal-clear Winter Melon Soup that pairs tender pork spare ribs with subtly sweet winter melon and a savory backbone of dried shiitake and shrimp. The result is a light, restorative broth brightened with scallions and cilantro—perfect for chilly days or when you need a gentle, flavorful comfort food.

A soothing, crystal-clear Winter Melon Soup that pairs tender pork spare ribs with subtly sweet winter melon and a savory backbone... Show more

Traditional Chinese Recipe

Health Grade

B- · Healthy

Time

1 hr30 min

Price

1,26 €

Calories

240 kcal

low calorie

meal prep

one pot

low carb

Method

Soak and prep

Rinse the Dried Shrimp, then soak it in a small bowl of hot Water for 10 minutes. Put the Shiitake Mushrooms, dried in a second bowl of hot water and let them soak for 20 minutes, until soft. While those sit, rinse the Pork Spare Ribs and cut them into 3–4 cm pieces if they are not already cut. Peel the Winter Melon, scoop out the seeds, cut it into 3 cm chunks, and slice the Ginger into 6–8 thin slices. Drain the shrimp and mushrooms well, trim off the mushroom stems, and slice the mushrooms thickly.

Simmer the broth

Tip the ribs, soaked shrimp, mushrooms, and ginger into a large pot. Pour in 1.8 l water and add the Shaoxing Wine, then bring everything to a boil over high heat. Skim off any foam as it rises, lower to a gentle simmer, and cook for 35 minutes until the ribs are starting to turn tender. Keep the pot at a lazy simmer so the broth stays clear, and leave the winter melon out for now.

Finish the soup

Add the melon chunks to the pot, then season with the Salt and Ground White Pepper. Simmer gently for 15 minutes, until the melon is translucent at the edges and tender but still holding its shape. Taste the broth and add a little more salt only if it needs it.

Garnish and serve

Ladle the soup into bowls and finish with the finely sliced Scallion. Add a few Cilantro Sprigs on top if you want a brighter, fresher finish.

Ingredients

Method

For 4 servings

Adjust servings

For the soup

1 kg Winter Melon, yields about 700 g once peeled and seeded, cut into 3 cm chunks
500g Pork Spare Ribs, cut into 3–4 cm pieces
1.8 l Water
15g Dried Shrimp, rinsed and soaked 10 minutes
20g Shiitake Mushrooms, dried, soaked until soft, stems removed, thickly sliced
20g Ginger, sliced (6–8 slices)
1 tbsp Shaoxing Wine
1 1/2 tsp Salt, fine, or to taste
1/4 tsp Ground White Pepper

Garnish

2 Scallions, finely sliced
Some Cilantro Sprigs, small handful (optional)

🧂 Plus ~1g of salt

Nutrition

Per Serving.

Calories

240 kcal

12% of Daily kcal

Protein

16 g

31% RDI

Fat

11 g

3.8g sat fat

Carbs

21 g

8% RDI

Sugar

11 g

23% RDI

Fiber

2.6 g

9% RDI

Salt

2.8 g

56% RDI

Quality Profile

Scored against dietary guidelines.
Tap rows for a deeper breakdown.

Composite score - weighted by current nutrition science

B- · 7.0 / 10

Comments

Click to rate

Ingredients

For 4 servings

Adjust servings

For the soup

1 kg Winter Melon, yields about 700 g once peeled and seeded, cut into 3 cm chunks
500g Pork Spare Ribs, cut into 3–4 cm pieces
1.8 l Water
15g Dried Shrimp, rinsed and soaked 10 minutes
20g Shiitake Mushrooms, dried, soaked until soft, stems removed, thickly sliced
20g Ginger, sliced (6–8 slices)
1 tbsp Shaoxing Wine
1 1/2 tsp Salt, fine, or to taste
1/4 tsp Ground White Pepper

Garnish

2 Scallions, finely sliced
Some Cilantro Sprigs, small handful (optional)

🧂 Plus ~1g of salt

Winter Melon Soup

Method

Soak and prep

Simmer the broth

Finish the soup

Garnish and serve

Ingredients

Method

For the soup

Garnish

Nutrition

Calories

Protein

Fat

Carbs

Sugar

Fiber

Salt

Quality Profile

Comments

Ingredients

For the soup

Garnish

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