SAWCLicious: Wintermelon Soup

I went to the Asian Grocery Store last week and to my surprise I saw wintermelon being sold in Brussels! I was so excited to buy it and try my Mom's wintermelon soup recipe. I really miss this as we don't cook it that often as well in Manila. One thing is for sure though, this is perfect for winter!

Wintermelon is a fruit that is served as a vegetable when it matures. The soup is cooked and normally served in the fruit itself just like the picture below. I don't have that luxury as I only saw sliced wintermelon in the store. The ingredients of this soup can vary depending on the chef's preference. I'm sharing today what my mom normally cooks at home.

Wintermelon Soup

Ingredients

• 4 cups of sliced wintermelon 
• 150-200 grams of ground pork
• 6 pcs. of dried chinese mushroom soaked in water for 12 hours
• 4-5 pcs. of dried scallops soaked in water for 12 hours
• 3-4 pcs. shallots sliced
• 7-8 pcs. of peeled shrimps chopped into small bits
• 50 grams of ham diced
• 3 tbsp. of corn oil
• 2.5L of water/chicken stock/pork stock
• Salt & pepper
• leeks for garnishing

Procedure

1. In a pot, heat oil and saute shallots until translucent.
2. Add the ground pork and ham into the pot. Season pork with some salt and pepper. You can also opt to season with a bit of soy sauce (1/2 tbsp.).
3. Once pork is cooked, add the mushroom, scallops and shrimps. 
4. Once shrimp is cooked, add 2.5 liters of water. You can also use chicken or pork stock if you have it available.
5. When the soup comes to a boil, add the wintermelon and simmer for 25-30 minutes.
6. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

You'd notice that in my picture the wintermelon are too transparent and looks a bit mushy already. This is because I like to eat them very soft. You can also opt to cook the wintermelon for a shorter period of time and it would have a more crunchy texture.