We had a record high temperature of 42.2 Celsius in Oregon a couple of weeks back. Hope everyone is keeping cool during this summer.
Cooldown this summer with this Chinese home classic: WINTER MELON SOUP (冬瓜湯)。
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9X3cpfkV-s
Enter the winter melon (冬瓜). Other names include ash gourd or wax gourd. The Compendium of Materia Medica (本草綱目), an ancient Chinese medicinal text records the characteristics of the melon as having a sweet and cooling profile. Benefits include reducing heatiness and swelling from one’s body, on top of promoting urine and quenching thirst.
Ingrained in Chinese societal common wisdom, any Chinese mom can probably tell you the same thing as the classic text. As such it is a common home cook food among Chinese families. Winter melon soup is good for you especially if you are feeling heaty.
Ingredients
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Winter Melon
Corn
Carrots
Goji Berries
Jujubes
Instructions
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Remove seeds from winter melon.
Peel skin off of winter melon.
Chop winter melon into rough blocks
Cut up corn.
Peel and chop carrots into rough blocks.
Along with a handful of goji berries and jujubes, pour ingredients into a pot and fill it with water.
Bring soup to a boil and then let it simmer for at least 1 hour.
Season with salt and white pepper. Adjust the amount to your liking.
Soup is ready to be served!