Recipe: Bitter Melon Soup in Sparerib Broth (Gang Jued Mara) and Chicken and Bitter Melon Soup

BITTER MELON SOUP IN SPARERIB BROTH
(GANG JUED MARA)

This soup is so wonderful on cold winter nights. It has a slight bitter taste which I love. This recipe is a variation of stuffed bitter melon soup. Just a little easier to make. Omit pork for a vegetarian soup.

To produce a clear soup, let the soup simmer rather than boil. Leave the lid off.

2 to 3 cups water
1/2 cup spareribs
2 tablespoons soy sauce - mushroom
1 pinch ground pepper
1 clove garlic
1 bitter melon

Spareribs should be 2" x 2" or smaller. You can ask your butcher to cut them for you. Heat up water and the pork on medium heat. Add ground pepper, garlic and soy sauce and let the soup simmer on low or medium heat.

Cut the bitter melon across into 2 inch pieces. Cut those pieces lengthwise and remove the white fluff and seed. Add the cut bitter melon to the soup and let it simmer for an hour or until the bitter melon is soft and easy to cut with a spoon. You may need to add water from time to time. Add more soy sauce if needed.

2 Servings
adapted from source: Thai Table

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CHICKEN AND BITTER MELON SOUP

1 to 2 cups chicken
1 bitter melon
2 leaves pickled cabbage
4 water chestnuts
6 cups stock
1 tsp salt
2 tsp soy sauce
1 dash pepper (up to)
3 eggs

Skin and dice chicken. Peel and dice fuzzy melon. 2. Bring stock to a boil. Add chicken and melon and simmer, covered, 15 minutes. Stir in salt and soy sauce.

Yield: 4 Servings
adapted from The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook