Winter melon soup is a soothing and comforting dish. Winter melons are grown in summer and harvested in late summer through early winter, making this a great summer/fall transition recipe!
There’s also a famous Chinese pastry—called “wife cakes”, or lao po bing (老婆饼)—with winter melon in the filling. Like other common Chinese pastry fillings (lotus seed paste, red bean paste, taro, etc.), if you cook down winter melon and add sugar, it makes an excellent sweet treat.
Winter melon can grow into a very big fruit, measuring over 15 inches in diameter and weighing in excess of thirty pounds. At the supermarket, you’re most likely to see them sold by the slice due to their extreme size. Although it’s called winter melon, it’s actually a summer vegetable. It is a type of fruit, but when mature, the fresh melon doesn’t taste sweet. It is mildly flavored, and has a similar texture to that of a watermelon. It’s typically used for cooking savory dishes, including soups and stews, with other flavorful spices. The white fresh part will turn very soft and absorb flavor easily as it’s cooked.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 (2-lb) wedge of winter melon (e.g. from Chang Fa, Food Depot)
- 2 dried black shiitake mushrooms
- Dried shrimp (about 1.5 tbsp)
- Stalk of dried tofu (optional)
- Wood ear fungus (optional)
- About 1 pint of chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp mushroom powder
- 3-4 pieces sliced ginger
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
DIRECTIONS
- Soak mushrooms, dried shrimp, tofu sticks, & wood ear fungus for couple hours
- Cut winter melon into 1/2 inch slices, making bite size pieces, removing rind
- Put melon into pot, cover with water, and boil about 15 minutes until tender
- Pour off excess water
- Add chicken broth, dried mushrooms, dried shrimp, mushroom powder, sliced ginger, water from soaking mushrooms, salt, and white pepper
- Simmer for about 20 minutes, adjust seasoning for taste
- Garnish with green onions or cilantro if desired