[RECIPE] Winter Melon Soup

When life serves you lemons, make lemonade.

When life serves you winter, make Winter Melon Soup!

Winter Melon Soup is purported to be good for weight loss and anti-swelling.  It is suitable for people suffering from hypertension, and kidney weakness.  It is high in Vitamin C, potassium, sodium, and a substance that can impede the conversion process of glucose into fat in the body. It is therefore thought to be a good weight loss food.  It has only about 2% sugars in it and is suitable for diabetes patients.

What is a winter melon? It is called 冬瓜 (dong gua) in mandarin and is a fairly big round fruit with dark green skin. It looks like a water melon but is actually a squash.  It has little taste but absorbs the flavors of the food it is cooked with. It is best in soups or stew although it can be stir-fried. 

Winter Melon Soup with Chinese Pearl Barley and Goji

This soup helps eliminate excess fluid from the body. It is also supposed to help whiten the skin and get rid of acne.  Chinese pearl barley helps to soothe the stomach and it is good if you have an easily irritable stomach. Omit the ginger if you really do not like it.

Ingredients

• 500g winter melon
• 1/2 cup of Chinese pearl barley (coix seeds)
• 150g prime pork ribs
• 1 tbsp goji berries
• 2 slices ginger
• 1 liter water

Directions (Stove top)

1. Wash the barley and soak for about 1 hour
2. Wash goji and soak for 20 minutes
3. Parboil the pork ribs with the ginger, trim off any excess fats
4. Cut and clean the melon
5. Bring the 1000ml water to the boil, add the pork ribs, melon pieces, barley and the goji
6. Bring the water and ingredients back to the boil, then lower to a simmer
7. Simmer for 1 hour
8. Turn off heat and cover pot and let soup stand for 10 minutes
9. Serve

Stay warm my friends,

—Mee Magnum  (“Chop!  Chop!”)

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