Canh Khổ Qua- Vietnamese Stuffed Bitter Melon Soup
Vietnamese bitter melon, stuffed with mushrooms, pork and mung beans and simmered in a mild and delicious chicken broth creates an amazing combination and a light soup!
Ingredients
- 4 bitter melons 5-6″ long or 3 bitter melons 8″ long
FILLING
- 1 medium onion ~2/3 cup chopped
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1/2 cup hydrated wood ear mushrooms chopped (pictured on my egg roll recipe )
- 1 pack of dried mung bean noodles chopped. ~1 cup hydrated. (also pictured on my egg roll recipe )
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce optional
BROTH
- 3 cups broth
- 4.5 cups water
- sugar and salt for seasoning the broth
GARNISH
- cilantro chopped
- green onions chopped
Instructions
- Soak the bean threads into hot tap water, and mushrooms in 40 seconds of microwaved hot tap water, until it becomes soft. It should take about 10 minutes. Remove and rinse the mushrooms well.
- Make a slit in each bitter melon , and then remove the seeds using the help of a spoon. Sometimes, it won't open correctly, so you'll have to cut the melon into two halves lengthwise. Then, just put the filling in.
- Bring the broth and water to the point of boiling in a saucepan with a high flame and set aside approximately 1 cup to adjust the seasoning.
- Include the stuffed bitter melons
- Reduce heat to the lowest level of boiling, and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until mylons that are bitter and fork tender.
- The water has evaporated and the food will have released seasonings to the broth make sure to taste it before adding sugar and salt according as you like or add hot water to make it less diluted.
- Cut bitter melons into 1.5-2 length pieces.
- Garnish with green onion and cilantro Serve with broth.
Notes
Update: You can add any mushrooms or vegetables you like to the filling. Carrots, eggs or corn...