2 simple ways to cook delicious clam soup with gourd for a meal

Prepare and Boil the Clams

Fresh live clams purchased should be scrubbed clean on the outside with a brush, then rinsed under running water.

Put all the cleaned clams into an pot, add enough water to cover about half of the clams, and add 1 spoon of salt. Turn on the stove and cook until the water boils vigorously, and the clams open, then you can turn off the heat.

Remove all the clams to extract the meat, use a knife to cut a horizontal slit on the clam’s belly, gently push to remove any sand and remaining clam waste, while also discarding all the black parts of the clam meat.

Rinse thoroughly with water again, then continue to chop into bite-sized pieces.

You should keep the clam broth, filter out the clear part to make the broth; the soup will be sweeter and richer in flavor.

Prepare other ingredients

After buying the gourd, peel it, cut it into small bite-sized pieces, ensuring the thickness is uniform to help it cook evenly.

Cook the soup

Place a pot containing the clam broth that was reserved earlier on the stove and bring it to a boil.

While waiting, prepare another pan, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and heat it, then sauté 1 tablespoon of minced shallots until fragrant. When the shallots are fragrant, add the chopped clam meat and stir-fry evenly.

At this point, you can add 1 tablespoon of minced ginger, 1 tablespoon of fermented soybean paste, 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, and add some Vietnamese coriander and green onions, stir well before turning off the heat.

When the soup broth is boiling, add the gourd, continue to cook over high heat until the gourd is tender, about 5 minutes, when the gourd flesh turns translucent, add the stir-fried clam meat, season to taste, and it’s done.

Final Product

The clam soup cooked with gourd has a faint fragrant smell, and the fresh green color of the gourd is still quite appealing, complemented by the white, chewy clam meat that offers a unique texture.

The broth is light and sweet, perfectly seasoned, with a hint of mild spiciness from ginger, making it more warming when consumed. This soup is suitable for children and adults alike, so you can definitely give it a try!

Prepare and Marinate Clams

Clams bought should be cleaned, boiled over high heat until they open, then turn off the heat. Remove all clams, discard the shells, keeping only the clam meat.

Take all the clam meat and rinse it thoroughly with diluted salt water, then drain excess water.

Use scissors or knife to cut the clam meat into small bite-sized pieces, place them in a bowl and start marinating with 1 spoon of seasoning powder, 1 teaspoon of seasoning granules, mix well and let it sit for 10 – 15 minutes to absorb the flavors.

Prepare Other Ingredients

After peeling, the bottle gourd should be cut into short sections about 3 finger joints long, then sliced lengthwise into even thin pieces.

Green onions and Malabar spinach should be washed clean, drained slightly, then chopped into small bite-sized pieces.

Tomatoes need to be cut into wedges, which can be divided into 4 – 6 parts depending on the size of the fruit.

Shallots should be peeled and minced finely.

Cook the soup

Put a pot on the stove with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, sauté the minced shallots until golden, then add the tomatoes and stir for about 1 minute.

When the tomatoes are slightly soft, add all the marinated clam meat, stir-fry evenly, and season with 2 tablespoons of fermented soybeans, add the clam broth, and continue to cook over high heat.

When the water boils, add the thinly sliced squash and cook for about 5 minutes, adjusting the seasoning to suit your family’s taste.

Finally, add the chopped water spinach and scallions, cook until the soup boils again, then turn off the heat.

Final dish

A hot bowl of soup mixed with the eye-catching colors of fresh red tomatoes, smooth green bottle gourd, along with water spinach and green onions, immersed in a rich, refreshing broth.

When eaten, you can taste a slight sourness, the refreshing sweetness from the vegetables and the delicious chewy clams. The soup should be left to cool a bit before serving with white rice, which is incredibly fitting!