Winter Melon Soup with Meatballs (冬瓜丸子汤)

Method9 steps · about 25 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Trim the hard green skin from the winter melon (400 g), remove the seeds and cut the flesh into bite-sized chunks. Set aside. Chop the meatball and soup scallions separately and have the ginger and soup seasonings ready before heating the pot.

   Uses 400 g winter melon, to peel and deseed

2. 2

   Step 2: Cover the 50 g dried mung bean vermicelli with tap water and soak for 10 minutes. Drain, discard this soaking water and cut the softened noodles into shorter sections with scissors.

   Drain and cut the vermicelli · 10 minUses 50 g dried mung bean vermicelli · Tap water as needed to cover the dried vermicelli for soaking

3. 3

   Step 3: Combine the 250 g minced pork with the meatball scallion (1), 1 tsp minced ginger, 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce, 1/4 tsp meatball salt, 1/4 tsp meatball white pepper, 1 tbsp tapioca starch and one egg white. Stir in one direction until no loose liquid remains and the mixture is sticky.

   Uses 250 g minced pork · 1 scallion stalk, finely chopped, for the meatballs · 1 teaspoon minced ginger · ½ tablespoon light soy sauce · 1/4 tsp salt for the meatballs · 1/4 tsp ground white pepper for the meatballs · 1 tbsp tapioca starch for the meatballs · 1 egg white

4. 4

   Step 4: Heat the 1 tsp neutral oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the 1/2 tbsp papery dried shrimp and the separate soup scallion (1). Fry until fragrant.

   Uses 1 teaspoon neutral cooking oil · 1/2 tbsp papery dried shrimp · 1 scallion stalk, finely chopped, for frying into the soup

5. 5

   Step 5: Pour all 1000 ml soup water into the fragrant shrimp-and-scallion pot from step 4. Bring to a very gentle simmer, then lower the heat.

   Uses fragrant shrimp and scallion oil · 1000 ml water for the soup

6. 6

   Step 6: With the broth from step 5 gently simmering, put some meatball mixture from step 3 in your palm. Close your hand gently so a ball forms between thumb and index finger, scoop it off with a spoon and slide it into the soup. Repeat until all the mixture is used. Adjust the heat to prevent vigorous boiling.

   Uses gently simmering shrimp-scallion broth · sticky pork meatball mixture

   
7. 7

   Step 7: Add the peeled winter-melon chunks from step 1 to the meatball soup from step 6. Cover and cook over medium heat for about 8–10 minutes, checking from 8 minutes, until the melon is soft. Check the largest pork meatballs reach at least 71 °C (160 °F), continuing to cook if needed.

   Check melon softness and meatball doneness · 8 minUses broth with all shaped pork meatballs · All the prepared melon flesh; skin and seeds discarded

8. 8

   Step 8: Once the melon is soft and the meatballs are cooked through, uncover the soup from step 7 and add the drained, cut vermicelli from step 2. Cook for a further minute, keeping the noodles springy rather than mushy.

   Finish seasoning the soup · 1 minUses cooked meatball and soft winter-melon soup · drained and cut mung-bean vermicelli

9. 9

   Step 9: Turn off the heat. Stir the 1/2 tsp soup salt, 1/8 tsp soup white pepper and 1 tsp sesame oil into the finished soup from step 8. Taste and adjust the salt if needed. Garnish with the optional chopped coriander and serve warm in one large dish or four individual bowls.

   Uses finished meatball, winter-melon and vermicelli soup · 1/2 tsp salt for the soup, or to taste · 1/8 tsp ground white pepper for the soup · 1 teaspoon sesame oil · Coriander, finely chopped (optional)