Pork & Winter Melon Soup

Traditionally served in a beautifully carved, hollowed out Winter Melon, this is a standard soup you will find on every Chinese Restaurant menu.This recipe adds some other familiar Chinese soup ingredients, bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms and I like to add tofu as well.
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. pork belly, fat trimmed, thinly sliced
- 3 stalks green onion, minced
- 1 TB sesame seed oil
- 1/4 c. bamboo shoots, julienne
- 4 large dried shrimp, minced
- 4 fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 6-8 c. chicken broth
- 1 1/2 c. winter melon, peeled, diced
- 2 TB lime juice
- 2 TB Aloha shoyu
- 2 TB hoisin sauce
- 1 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tsp. Thai chili garlic paste
- 2 TB cornstarch mixed with 1/4 c. chicken broth
- 10 oz. diced fried tofu,
- 2 chopped green onion
- sesame seed oil
Instructions
- 1
In a large saucepan over medium heat, brown pork and onions in oil.
- 2
Add bamboo shoots, shrimp, mushrooms and broth.
- 3
Bring to a boil.
- 4
Reduce heat; simmer 30 minutes.
- 5
Add melon; bring to a boil.
- 6
Stir in lime juice, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger and garlic paste; simmer 10 minutes.
- 7
Slowly stir in cornstarch mixture, until slightly thickened.
- 8
--- How To Serve: ---
- 9
For service: Garnish as desired with tofu and green onions,
- 10
Drizzle with sesame seed oil.
- 11
Serves 4-6.
Cook it from the original
This recipe comes from cookinghawaiianstyle.com. Their page has the author’s own photos, notes and tips — the best place to cook it from.
Open the recipe on cookinghawaiianstyle.com