Bitter Melon soup

How to make bitter melon soup

Bitter melon soup is another traditional Cambodian dish.  Not a lot of young folks like the taste of the bitter melon, in fact they stick to eating the meat only and the soup leaving the parents to eat the bitter vegetable.  I actually liked eating the bitter melon! this dish is actually one of my favorite soups and it is so simple to make. 

For this recipe all you need is two bitter melon cut into fours, ground beef mixture which consists of (black mushroom, garlic, carrots, bean thread noodles, minced onion) to see the recipe for the ground beef mixture please read the post with the stuffed chicken wings.  the stuffing is practically the same just add the black mushrooms for this dish. 2 stalk of green onions, 1/2 cup of fish sauce, 2 1/2 tbsp of chicken bouillon, 1 tbsp of MSG, 3 tsp of sugar, 2 tsp of salt, and 4 cloves of garlic. 

Start by bringing a medium sized pot filled with water 75% of the way with garlic added to a boil. 

Prepare your ingredients while waiting for the water to boil. Cut the bitter melon into fours just like the above picture. 

Remove the seeds on the inside of the bitter melon using a long spoon and set aside for stuffing. 

Once the seeds are all removed, with the same spoon scoop a good portion of the stuffing and stuff the insides of the melon using your thumb to push and pack the melon. 

This is how it should look after being stuffed.  Once the water comes to a boil add 2 tsp of salt.  

Add the stuffed bitter melon into the boiling water. 

Add 1/2 cup of fish sauce. 

Add 2 1/2 tbsp of chicken bouillon, 3 tsp of sugar and 1 tbsp of MSG.  Adjust the seasoning to your liking. Simmer on medium heat for 45 min. 

Add the chopped green onion to garnish the soup, and serve with rice, and spicy fish sauce. 

Ingredients: 

1 lb of ground beef mixture w/ black mushroom added to the mixture. (Recipe found in stuffed chicken recipe blog) 

2 whole bitter melon cut into fours

2 stalk of green onions

1/2 cup of fish sauce

2 1/2 tbsp of chicken bouillon

1 tbsp of MSG

3 tsp of sugar

2 tsp of salt

4 cloves of garlic

Directions:

1. Start by bringing a medium sized pot filled with water 75% of the way with garlic added to a boil. 

2. Prepare your ingredients while waiting for the water to boil. Cut the bitter melon into fours. 

3. Remove the seeds on the inside of the bitter melon using a long spoon and set aside for stuffing. 

4. Once the seeds are all removed, with the same spoon scoop a good portion of the stuffing and stuff the insides of the melon using your thumb to push and pack the melon. 

5. Once the water boils add 2 tsp of salt, and add the stuffed bitter melon into the boiling water. 

6. Add 1/2 cup of fish sauce, add 2 1/2 tbsp of chicken bouillon, 3 tsp of sugar and 1 tbsp of MSG.  Adjust the seasoning to your liking. 

7. Simmer on medium heat for 45 min, turning down the heat to low if the water is over boiling. 

8. Remove from pot and into a bowl, garnish with chopped green onions. 

Hope you will enjoy this recipe!