Best Chinese Winter Melon Soup With Pork Ribs 冬瓜湯

Chinese Winter Melon Soup With Pork Ribs 冬瓜湯 is a famous healthy soup in Chinese cuisine. Despite the name, Dong Gua 冬瓜 is best enjoyed during the hottest summer days instead of the cold winter months. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, winter melon is considered a Yin food with a cooling effect on the body to help clear summer heat and relieve thirst.

We use Si Shen Tang 四神湯 as the soup base to relieve adrenal fatigue symptoms while lowering blood sugar, reducing edema, restoring kidney functions, and boosting Qi and blood reproduction.

Many Cantonese households drink a bowl of soup every day. Chinese people make it good practice to take advantage of the health benefits included with food therapy. Winter melon is an alkaline fruit that has a neutralizing effect on the body. 

> In This Post: Everything You'll Need For Homemade Chinese Winter Melon Soup Recipe

As the name suggests, winter melon chunks are a crucial ingredient. Make this comforting soup to relieve digestive issues and remove dampness and discomfort while naturally boosting the immune system with a blend of herbs. This well-balanced herbal soup is excellent during Late Summer as we transition to Fall Autumn.

Check out this quick story summary of our recipe!

Jump to:

• > In This Post: Everything You'll Need For Homemade Chinese Winter Melon Soup Recipe
• What Is Winter Melon?
• Winter Melon Health Benefits & TCM
• Ingredients and Substitutes
• Instructions
• Other Easy To Make Nourishing Chinese Soup Recipes
• What To Serve With White Gourd Soup
• > Recipe
• Best Chinese Winter Melon Soup With Pork Ribs 冬瓜湯

What Is Winter Melon?

The standard English name for winter melon is wax gourd or ash gourd. This large squash resembles a watermelon with dark green skin and white flesh. They are usually sold by the slices instead of as a whole winter melon because they are so big in Asian supermarkets. 

Winter Melon Health Benefits & TCM

The Chinese name Dong Gua, 冬瓜, literally translates to "winter melon". In Chinese medicine, winter melon is slightly cold in nature and tastes sweet and bland. Winter melon targets the lung, large intestine, small intestine and bladder meridians.

In addition, winter melon is a diuretic and promotes urination. It also helps to detoxify, promote digestion and quenches thrist. It reduces phlegm and mucus. Those who lack Yang with cold stomachs and weak spleen constitutions should consume in moderation.

Winter melons are rich in Vitamin B & C, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, iron, and beta-carotene. Winter melon tastes gentle, sweet and comparable to a cucumber with green grassy notes.

The skin of the winter melon is vibrant with health benefits. Winter melon skin is excellent for reducing water retention bloating and relieving heat in the summer. Traditionally, Chinese families boil the skin in water to make winter melon tea to reduce body heat. It is especially useful during San Fu Tian 三伏天. During the hottest summer days, moxibustion therapy on specific acupuncture points is excellent for curing winter diseases.

Winter melon's cooling properties make it essential during San Fu Tian (三伏天), but its benefits extend into autumn's unexpected heat periods. Learn how to transition from San Fu to Autumn Tiger cooling strategies and adapt your seasonal cooking for year-round temperature regulation.

While winter melon soup relieves summer heat and water retention, women experiencing premenstrual bloating and PMS symptoms should try our Sea Coconut Chinese Yam Conch PMS Relief Soup, which targets hormonal imbalances causing monthly bloating through liver yin nourishment.

During Late Summer (Late Fu), while the temperature is the hottest, the human body has the best immunity due to vibrant Yang and blood circulation. Add this cooling soup recipe to your San Fu Period Meal Planning. Another great option is to add chrysanthemum honeysuckle tea for comprehensive summer heat relief - the soup cools from within while the tea clears upper body heat and soothes inflamed throats.

This well-balanced herbal soup is excellent during Late Summer as we transition to Fall Autumn. As the seasons fully shift into autumn tiger territory, complement this cooling soup with our Autumn Dryness Relief TCM Lotus Snow Fungus Dessert, a targeted seasonal wellness dessert that transitions your body from summer's cooling needs to autumn's moistening requirements with lotus seeds, lily bulbs, and snow fungus for complete seasonal wellness support.

Ingredients and Substitutes

This simple TCM soup enhances the body's immunity, expells dampness, moistens the lungs and reduces heat. Nourish and balance the body's temperature with simple ingredients.

Winter Melon (冬瓜, dōngguā) - The taste of winter melon is mild. Winter melon is slightly cold in nature and tastes sweet and bland. Winter melon targets the lung, large intestine, small intestine and bladder meridians. Chinese banquets in Hong Kong often serve winter melon soups with Chinese Ham [[dong gwa chong]]. 

Pork Ribs - Pork ribs and pork bones boost a simple TCM soup. Pork bone broth is rich in minerals, vitamins, amino acids and essential fatty acids. Pork is also a rich source of niacin and thiamine, Vitamins B12 and B6, selenium, and zinc. For a less fatty option, choose pork shank or pork tenderloin. Some winter melon Chinese soup recipes use ground pork meatballs or minced meat!

Here are a couple spareribs root-forward dishes I am genuinely obsessed with from the blog! Both these recipes are delicious and easy to make!

 Other Pork Ribs Recipes  

• Red Fermented Bean Curd Lotus Root Spareribs 南乳蓮藕炆排骨
• Honey Garlic Pork Ribs (Air Fry) 蒜子蜜汁骨
• Lotus Root Pork Bone Soup without Peanuts  
• Air Fried Spareribs With Red Fermented Bean Curd 氣炸鍋南乳排骨

Si Shen Tang (四神湯 Shishin tāng) - Many Chinese herbal stores will sell pre-packaged Sishentang packages for convenience. We often bought these and added herbs to address specific needs during a particular season.

Black Eye Peas (眉豆, méi dòu)- The leguminous plant kidney bean seed provides high-quality protein that is easy to digest and absorb. Black Eye Peas are sweet, salty and neutral in nature. Rich in Vitamin B1, Mei Dou nourishes Qi, invigorates the Kidney and Stomach, harmonizes the five internal organs and relieves thirst. Mei Dou treats heat-dampness, vomiting, diarrhea, and spleen deficiency. It is an ideal ingredient for diabetics. 

Raw Coix Seeds (生薏米 Shēng yìmǐ) - Job's Tears are cold in nature and are excellent at removing dampness, wind and heat. Springtime is most suitable for making soups and beverages with coix seeds, such as Lemon Coix Seed Water 檸檬薏米水. Raw coix seeds invigorate the spleen, relieve diarrhea, lighten the body, nourish Qi, and improve spleen and intestinal pain.

Honey Date (蜜枣 mìzǎo) - Add one or two dried honey dates or dried figs to enhance the flavour of your soup.

Most dry goods ingredients, tools and supplies can be purchased at your local Asian markets and Chinese grocery stores or Amazon Online.

Instructions

Soak the herbs for 5-10 minutes in a small bowl to remove traces of impurities. This will help remove dust and debris. Rinse and set aside in a small bowl.  

Wash with clean water and pat dry the big slab of winter melon. 

Remove seeds, if any.

Cut the winter melon into large chunks or into small pieces if your soup pot is small.

Wash the pork ribs, pork shank or tenderloin with cold water and pat dry with a kitchen paper towel. It is only necessary to cut the pork ribs into small pieces if your pot is not big enough.

Parboil the pork ribs in a medium pot to remove the impurities and excess foam. Rinse with cold water. Set aside.

To make the Chinese medicines soup, add the winter melon pieces, pork shank and herbal ingredients into a large pot not made of stainless steel like THIS Perfect Pot or a Buydeem Health Beverage Maker. 

Although not all Chinese herbs react with metal, it is best not to use a metal pot when making Chinese medicinal herbal soups.

Fill the pot with enough water to cover to make the clear soup stock. We used approximately 4 litres of cold water. 

Boil at high heat for 30 minutes, then reduce to low heat. Simmer for 60 minutes.

Salt to taste.

Serve and enjoy 

The soup ingredients make a comforting dish - the fork-tender meaty pork riblets are a crowd pleasure that goes perfectly with some Chinese Chili Soy Dipping Sauce. 

Next time, buy extra winter melon and braise it in a clay pot with slices of ginger, green onions, dried shrimps, dried shiitake mushrooms, ground meat, spare ribs or pork hocks. It's a delicious main dish that doesn't take much time to prepare!

Other Easy To Make Nourishing Chinese Soup Recipes

Find the harmony you miss with this delicious, immune-boosting, nutritious soup menu. Take back control of your mood and recharge energy levels by balancing your hormones and minerals. A bowl of nourishing soup is the quintessential embodiment of easily digestible southern Chinese cooking. 

• Ba Wong Fa Soup for Cough and Phlegm 霸王花無花果瘦肉響螺湯
• Wild Matsutake Morel and Cordyceps Mushroom Soup 松茸菇羊肚菌石斛養生湯
• Chinese Papaya Soup with Black Eyed Peas (Easy) 木瓜花生眉豆雪耳雞腳湯 
• Si Shen Tang Herbal Soup Adrenal Fatigue 四神湯
• Silkie Chicken Cordyceps Fish Maw Conch Soup 蟲草花花膠响螺煲烏雞湯
• Chinese Kabocha Pork Ribs Soup 南北杏南瓜排骨湯
• Chinese Papaya Dessert with Snow Fungus 木瓜雪耳糖水
• Modified Longan Date Tea for Summer (No Overheating)
• San Fu Period Adzuki Red Bean, Job's Tears & Poria Soup

What To Serve With White Gourd Soup 

Chinese people love double-boiled soup boiled for a long time. The extra broth is a great way to warm up and absorb nutritious essence, vitamins and minerals.

Make a complete meal with these delicious recipes:

• Easy Homemade Char Siu (Air Fried)
• Chinese Sticky Rice 糯米飯
• Ants Climbing Up A Tree 螞蟻上樹
• Honey Garlic Pork Ribs (Air Fry) 蒜子蜜汁骨
• Instant Pot Braised Chinese Mushrooms 髮菜炆冬菇食譜
• Microwave Soy Sauce Chicken Wings 豉油雞翅微波爐
• Chinese Tomato Egg Stir-fry 番茄炒蛋

I'd love to see how you went with my recipes! Leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @INSTANOMSS #INSTANOMSS.

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