Easy, tasty, and savory meatball soup made at home. This is the quick one-pot winter melon recipe you can make on a busy weeknight.
Back in my mom’s generation, air conditioners were not widely available. Canton, the city we live in, can hit 100°F in summer. And winter melon was one of the most loved ingredients in the hot summertime.
According to Chinese medicine, winter melon helps the body to rehydrate and discharge heat. My grandma loved boiling winter melon with Semen Coicis and stored the water in the fridge as a summer drink.
Winter melon is gaining popularity not only in Asia but in the US as well. It is rich in potassium and fiber. If you sweat a lot, winter melon squash will provide the minerals you need. It’s also low-carb, making it a keto-friendly ingredient.
Winter melon squash or winter guard doesn’t have a lot of flavors. Alone, it can taste bland. That’s why you’ll often see cook with pork ribs or mushrooms. It absorbs the flavor of other ingredients and adds moisture to the dish.
The recipe I bring you today is one of my favorite – Chinese winter melon meatball soup. It has all the goodies and flavors in one pot. And you don’t need hours in the kitchen to make this quick soup recipe.
How to make Chinese winter melon meatball soup?
Ingredient
- 500 grams of winter melon squash
- 30 grams of fresh ginger
- 1 scallion
- Salt, to taste
- 2 teaspoons of olive oil
Meatballs:
- 400 grams of ground pork
- 30 grams of dried shiitake mushrooms
- A sprinkle of five-spice powder
- 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons of cornflour or regular flour
Making the Winter Melon Recipe step-by-step
Meatballs are juicy and meal-prep friendly. I’ve made the lion head meatballs and daikon radish meatball soup. The ingredients I use are similar: ground pork and shiitake mushrooms.
Dried shiitake mushrooms bring umami to the meatballs. If they are not available in your local supermarket, you can also switch them to carrots.
Preparations
Rinse dried shiitake mushrooms ahead and soak in warm water for 30 minutes.
Wash the scallion and chop it into small pieces.
Slice fresh ginger thinly and set aside for later.
Squeeze the water out of the mushrooms, cut off the stem and chop it finely.
Place ground pork in a bowl. Add the chopped mushrooms and season the mixture with light soy sauce, oyster sauce, and five-spice powder.
Add cornflour or regular flour to the mixture. Stir clockwise until it gets slightly gluey. This way, the meatballs will stick together in the soup.
Press and roll the mixture into small balls. Set aside for later.
Prepare the winter melon
Winter melon is pretty big, and we don’t need to use a whole for the soup. 500 grams or about 1 pound of winter melon makes a soup for four.
Remove the seed in the middle of the winter melon. And chop the squash into small chunks.
Slice off the skin and set aside for later.
Making the soup
In a pot, heat two teaspoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add ginger slices to the pot and sauté until fragrant.
Add winter melon to the pot and stir for 3 minutes. When the squash starts to soften, pour 2 cups of water to cover the ingredients.
Bring the pot to a boil. Cover the lid and simmer for 10 minutes. The winter squash should be slightly transparent by now.
Add meatballs to the pot. When the soup boils again, turn the heat down to medium-low and cook for another 10 minutes.
Sprinkle scallions, and the soup is ready to serve.
Have you made this winter melon recipe?
Chinese Winter Melon Meatball Soup Recipe
Easy, tasty, and savory meatball soup made at home. This is the quick one-pot winter melon recipe you can make on a busy weeknight.
Ingredients
- 500 grams of winter melon squash
- 30 grams of fresh ginger
- 1 scallion
- Salt, to taste
- 2 teaspoons of olive oil
- 400 grams of ground pork
- 30 grams of dried shiitake mushrooms
- A sprinkle of five-spice powder
- 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons of cornflour or regular flour
Instructions
- In advance, soak dried shiitake mushrooms in warm water for 30 minutes.
- Wash the scallion and chop it into small pieces.
- Slice fresh ginger thinly and set aside for later.
- Squeeze the water out of the mushrooms, cut off the stem and chop it finely.
- Place ground pork in a bowl. Add the chopped mushrooms and season the mixture with light soy sauce, oyster sauce, and five-spice powder.
- Add cornflour or regular flour to the mixture. Stir clockwise until it gets slightly gluey. This way, the meatballs will stick together in the soup. Press and roll the mixture into small balls. Set aside for later.
- Remove the seed in the middle of the winter melon. And chop the squash into small chunks. Slice off the skin and set aside for later.
- In a pot, heat two teaspoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add ginger slices to the pot and sauté until fragrant.
- Add winter melon to the pot and stir for 3 minutes. When the squash starts to soften, pour 2 cups of water to cover the ingredients.
- Bring the pot to a boil. Cover the lid and simmer for 10 minutes. The winter squash should be slightly transparent by now.
- Add meatballs to the pot. When the soup boils again, turn the heat down to medium-low and cook for another 10 minutes. Sprinkle scallions, and serve with rice or noodle.
If you love meatballs, check out these recipes as well:
One-pot Dinner Daikon Radish Meatball Soup
Chinese Steamed Lion Head Pork Meatballs With Quail Eggs
Fang Hua Chinese Steamed Egg with Ground Pork and Tofu
Hi!! Looks delicious, just like what my dad used to make. Excited to try this on my own. Any ideas on whether or not it would be feasible to substitute turkey for the pork? Thanks!
Replacing pork with turkey sounds like a good idea. Since turkey is leaner, you may need to add a binding agent such as breadcrumbs or eggs to help the meatballs stay together. Hope this helps!