Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat

Vietnamese Stuffed Bitter Melon Pork Soup

越式釀苦瓜豬肉湯

Vietnamese Stuffed Bitter Melon Pork Soup — finished dish

Total time: 70 min
Difficulty: Medium
Servings: 4 servings

Recipe overview

Bitter-melon rings hold a pork, shiitake and glass-noodle filling, gently simmered in clear broth until tender.

01

Ingredients

Main ingredients

600 g, about 2 bitter melons
400 g minced pork
30 g dried shiitake mushrooms
30 g dried glass noodles
1.5 litres clear chicken stock
2 spring onions

Filling seasoning

1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp cornflour
1/4 tsp white pepper

Soup seasoning

1 tbsp fish sauce
1/2 tsp salt

Vietnamese Stuffed Bitter Melon Pork Soup — ingredients

02

Tools

soup pot
large bowl
cutting board
kitchen knife
teaspoon
ladle

Vietnamese Stuffed Bitter Melon Pork Soup — tools

03

Steps

Vietnamese Stuffed Bitter Melon Pork Soup — Soak dried ingredients

Step 1

Soak dried ingredients

Soak mushrooms and noodles separately in water for 20 minutes, then drain.

Vietnamese Stuffed Bitter Melon Pork Soup — Cut the filling items

Step 2

Cut the filling items

Dice mushrooms, cut noodles into 1 cm lengths and slice spring onions.

Vietnamese Stuffed Bitter Melon Pork Soup — Prepare bitter melon

Step 3

Prepare bitter melon

Cut into 4 cm rings and scrape out all seeds and white pith.

Vietnamese Stuffed Bitter Melon Pork Soup — Mix the pork filling

Step 4

Mix the pork filling

Stir pork, mushrooms, noodles, half the onions and all filling seasoning one way until sticky.

Vietnamese Stuffed Bitter Melon Pork Soup — Stuff the rings

Step 5

Stuff the rings

Pack filling firmly into every bitter-melon ring and smooth both ends.

Vietnamese Stuffed Bitter Melon Pork Soup — Boil the stock

Step 6

Boil the stock

Bring chicken stock to a full boil in the soup pot.

Vietnamese Stuffed Bitter Melon Pork Soup — Add stuffed melon

Step 7

Add stuffed melon

Place rings in one layer in the broth and return to a boil.

Vietnamese Stuffed Bitter Melon Pork Soup — Skim the broth

Step 8

Skim the broth

Lower heat and skim foam from the surface.

Vietnamese Stuffed Bitter Melon Pork Soup — Simmer until tender

Step 9

Simmer until tender

Partly cover and maintain a gentle simmer for 30 minutes.

Vietnamese Stuffed Bitter Melon Pork Soup — Check the filling

Step 10

Check the filling

The largest filling must have no pink centre, clear juices and reach 71°C.

Vietnamese Stuffed Bitter Melon Pork Soup — Season the broth

Step 11

Season the broth

Add soup fish sauce and salt, then taste gently.

Vietnamese Stuffed Bitter Melon Pork Soup — Garnish and serve

Step 12

Garnish and serve

Scatter remaining spring onions and carefully ladle out the rings and hot soup.

Common mistakes

Leaving white pith and making the broth too bitter.
Not mixing filling until sticky so it separates.
Boiling hard and breaking the stuffed rings.
Failing to cook pork filling to 71°C.

Tips

Mix filling until sticky and pack it firmly, then simmer gently; use 71°C at the centre of the thickest piece as the safety check.