Many people are familiar with the fruit known as a watermelon, but not everyone knows about the bitter melon. The bitter melon is a fruit that is green and round and has a bumpy texture on its skin. It can be eaten raw or cooked and can also be used in soup recipes.
Bitter melon soup is one of the most popular dishes in Asian cuisine. Bitter melon is a vegetable that many people are hesitant to try because of its bitter aftertaste. I have to say that the taste is hard to get used to, but it's worth it for its many health benefits. Have you heard "Bitter pills may have blessed effects"?. Bitter melon has high amounts of vitamin C, beta-carotene, and minerals. It is also believed that it may be effective in treating diabetes and regulating blood pressure. In addition, bitter melon soup has been shown to have many health benefits including mood elevation and reduction in inflammation.
The most common way to make this soup is by boiling the bitter melon with the skin on and then adding about 3 cups of water or broth, add some salt and pepper to create a hot dish. That's it. So simple, isn't it.
In Vietnam, bitter melon is a popular vegetable and easy to grow. It's been used as a traditional treatment for stomach ailments, diabetes, and hypertension. In addition to these health benefits, it can be eaten fresh as a crunchy snack or cooked into dishes such as Vietnamese stuffed bitter melon soup. The soup is delicious, nutritious, and easy to make. The ingredients are all widely available at your grocery store -- it will take less than an hour from start to finish. For me, I have my fresh bitter melon in the garden. 😋
Organic fruit from my garden
Since I cooked quickly and wrote my post to make my entry on time with just a few hours left, I didn't take many pictures of each step 😂
Lately, a lot of people have been turning to the soup as a way to maintain their health and happiness. If you're looking for a new type of soup recipe, why not try bittermelon soup? I'm gonna tell you that it's easy to make but nutritious :)
Ingredient for 2 people:
This soup is typically prepared with fish sauce, sugar, ginger, and peppers.
2 long bitters
some garlic
50-gram fresh ginger
100-gram chopped spring onion
250-gram minced pork (shrimp/ beef)
1 teaspoon salt/ sugar/ pepper and 2 teaspoons fish sauce
3 small bowls of chicken broth
The first step to making this dish is to cut open the bitter melon lengthwise and remove the seeds with a spoon, then slice them in half lengthwise. You can make it tasty by combining minced pork with all the prepared ingredients (chopped spring onions, fish sauce, sugar, and salt) in a large bowl, then stuffing bitter melon with the filling. The last process is to boil the stuffed bittermelon together with chicken broth until they are done. It may take 10-15 mins. When prepared correctly, the soup has a thin consistency with just enough salt to enhance its flavor without making it too salty.
True to its name, the bitterness of the melons balances well with the sweet notes from the chicken broth and filling. 😋😋😋 Garnished with sliced spring onion on top of the soup as it will bring out the natural sweetness of the dish. One of the most common ingredients used in this recipe is fish sauce, which gives it an acquired taste; however, if this is your first time cooking with fish sauce it may take some getting used to 🙂😂.
I know that bitter melon is usually an unfamiliar vegetable to westerners, but if you're willing to try something new, this soup will be a flavorful and healthy dish! Stuffed with shrimp, pork, and eaten with rice or noodles, this soup is perfect for those that want a hearty meal without feeling bloated. I hope you enjoy the simple recipes, easy to cook but tasty and nutritious :)
A new twist on an old favorite!
