Squash is a crunchy and sweet fruit that can be used to prepare many different dishes. Today, TasteVN would like to share some delicious soup dishes made from squash. Let’s get cooking and immediately prepare 3 refreshing squash soups with dried shrimp, snakehead fish, and pork ribs for the whole family!
1. Squash soup with shrimp
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Preparation time
30 minutes
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Difficulty level
Easy
Ingredients for Squash soup with shrimp Serves 4
Squash 1 fruit (about 600gr) Shrimp 150 gr Shallots 1 bulb Green onions 2 stalks Cilantro 3 stalks Salt 1 teaspoon Seasoning powder 1 teaspoon MSG 1 teaspoon Cooking oil 1 tablespoon
How to choose fresh, delicious shrimp
- If buying frozen shrimp, you should choose shrimp that still have all parts intact, feel firm, naturally flexible (to avoid buying shrimp that have been artificially inflated to increase weight) and especially, there should be no fishy or spoiled smell.
- Choose live shrimp to ensure freshness, with shiny shells, looking strong, and when squeezed, they should have some elasticity; the shell should not be too soft.
See details: How to choose fresh shrimp
How to prepare Squash Soup with Shrimp
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Prepare the shrimp
To eliminate the fishy smell, mud, and dirt, when buying shrimp, you should peel off the shell, remove the head, and take out the intestinal string, then wash them thoroughly with water and let them drain.
Take 1/2 of the shrimp meat just prepared and chop it finely, while leaving the remaining shrimp meat whole.
How to quickly remove the shrimp’s intestinal string
- Count backward from the shrimp’s tail to the second groove connecting the two segments of the shrimp shell, insert a toothpick through this position, and gently pull the black string to remove it.
- You don’t need to use a knife to cut the shrimp’s back; you can also use a toothpick to pry out the head of the shrimp body to find the black string. Gently pull this black string out, and the shrimp will be clean.
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Prepare the other ingredients
Use a knife to lightly score the skin of the squash to release the sap. Then peel off the skin, wash it with clean water, and let it drain.
Cut the squash in half and then slice it into thin pieces horizontally.
Wash the green onions and cilantro and then chop them finely. Peel the shallots and slice them.
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Cook the soup
Place a pot on the stove, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and heat it up, then add the chopped shallots and sauté until fragrant.
When the shallots become aromatic, add all the minced shrimp and whole shrimp into the pot and stir-fry over medium heat. Once the shrimp meat is cooked through, add 1 teaspoon of salt, stir well, and continue to stir-fry for another minute to ensure the shrimp is cooked and absorbs the seasoning.
Next, add 1 liter of water to the pot, cover it, and bring it to a boil.
When the water starts to boil, add all the pumpkin, season with 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, 1 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, stir well and continue cooking until the broth boils again, then add chopped green onions and coriander before turning off the heat.
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Finished Product
The pumpkin soup with shrimp, when completed, has an eye-catching and attractive color. The broth is fragrant, sweet, and rich, with the shrimp being chewy and sweet, combined with the crunchy and sweet pumpkin, making the family’s meal more appealing and well-rounded.
Pumpkin soup with shrimp is an enticing dish that adds a refreshing touch to the meal. Why wait? Join TasteVN in the kitchen to learn more about how to cook this delicious dish!
See details: How to cook fresh pumpkin soup with shrimp that is fragrant and light for the meal
2. Pumpkin Soup with Snakehead Fish
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Preparation
40 minutes
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Difficulty Level
Easy
Ingredients for Pumpkin Soup with Snakehead Fish For 4 people
Pumpkin 1 fruit (600gr) Snakehead fish 1 fish (about 1/2kg) Green onion 2 stalks Shallot 1 bulb Cilantro 3 stalks Fish sauce 1 teaspoon Common spices a little (seasoning/sugar/salt/pepper)
How to choose fresh and delicious snakehead fish
- Choose snakehead fish that are of moderate size, not too large or too small. Select fish with a long, slender body, not too round, and feel firm to the touch without being mushy.
- It is advisable to choose fish that are fresh; the anus should be small, indicating freshness. Dead, spoiled, or chemically treated fish will have a swollen anus.
- When processing, if the meat is soft, the belly is full of fat, and it has a foul smell, then it is not good fish.
See more: How to choose fresh snakehead fish
How to make Snakehead Fish Soup with Bottle Gourd
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Preparing and marinating snakehead fish
To ensure the snakehead fish is clean and not slimy, when you buy it, cut off the fins and tail and remove the internal organs.
Wash the fish with salt water for about 3 minutes, then rinse thoroughly with clean water. Separate the head from the body, then cut the body into bite-sized pieces.
Peel and finely chop the shallots.
Effective way to remove the fishy smell from snakehead fish
In addition to using salt to eliminate the fishy smell, you can mix a solution of 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or vinegar and about 200ml of warm water, then soak the fish for 5 minutes and rinse well before cooking.
See more: How to prepare and remove the fishy smell from snakehead fish
Put the fish in a bowl, marinate the fish with 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of seasoning powder, 1/3 teaspoon of ground pepper, 1 teaspoon of fish sauce, and 1/2 amount of chopped shallots. Mix well and let the fish absorb the spices for about 15 – 20 minutes.
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Prepare other ingredients
Peel the gourd, wash it clean, then cut it into quarters and slice it into pieces about 1 finger thick.
Green onions and cilantro should be washed clean and then chopped finely.
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Cooking the soup
Place a pot on the stove, add 1 liter of filtered water and bring to a boil.
Next, add the marinated gourd and snakehead fish into the pot and continue cooking until the fish is cooked through and the broth returns to a boil, then add 1 tablespoon of seasoning to the pot, stir well and cook for another 3 minutes.
Finally, sprinkle ground pepper, chopped green onions, and cilantro into the pot, adjust the seasoning to taste, and then turn off the heat.
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Final product
The flavor of the snakehead fish, combined with the crunchy, sweet gourd, blends with the light sweet broth and various herbs, creating an “irresistible” attraction. This dish is best served hot with rice and accompanied by a bowl of spicy fish sauce.
3. Bottle Gourd Soup with Pork Ribs
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Preparation
40 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Bottle Gourd Soup with Pork Ribs Serves 4
Bottle gourd 1 piece (large) Pork ribs 1/2 kg Green onions 2 stalks Cilantro 2 stalks Rock sugar 1 tablespoon (about 1 small piece) Common seasonings a little (salt/seasoning/pepper)
How to choose fresh and delicious pork ribs
- Fresh spare ribs should have a light pink color, should spring back when pressed, and should not have a rancid smell.
- Choose ribs with small, flat bones. This type of rib has more meat and less bone compared to larger, round ribs.
- You should choose ribs that have both lean meat and fat so that they will be softer, fragrant, and richer in taste when eaten.
- Avoid ribs that smell bad, have a pale green color, are slimy, and do not bounce back when pressed with your hand.
How to prepare Bottle Gourd Soup with Pork Ribs
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Prepare the Pork Ribs
Clean the ribs thoroughly; after purchasing, cut the ribs into bite-sized pieces, then blanch them in boiling water for about 2 – 3 minutes. After that, remove the ribs, rinse them with clean water, and let them drain.
How to prepare clean, non-smelly pork ribs
- Besides soaking the pork ribs in salt, you can briefly boil the ribs for 1 minute and then discard this water.
- Next, put a few slices of ginger and a little white wine into another pot of water, bring it to a boil, then add the pork ribs and boil for 5 minutes, turn off the heat, and wash the ribs thoroughly again.
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Prepare the other ingredients
After purchasing the gourd, peel it clean, wash it thoroughly with water, drain it, and then cut the gourd into strips about the thickness of a small finger.
Green onions and cilantro should be washed thoroughly with water and then chopped finely.
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Cooking Soup
Place a pot on the stove, add about 1 liter of water and bring to a boil, then add all the ribs.
Next, add 1 piece of rock sugar, 1 tablespoon of seasoning, and 1/2 tablespoon of salt to the pot, stir well, then cover and simmer for about 1 hour to extract the sweetness from the ribs.
Tip: During the simmering process, you should regularly skim off the foam to keep the broth clear and visually appealing.
Next, add the gourd to the pot and continue cooking until the water boils again.
Finally, add chopped green onions and coriander, adjust the seasoning to taste, and then turn off the heat.
Serve the soup in a bowl, sprinkle a little ground pepper, and garnish for an attractive presentation to complete the dish.
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Final Product
With just a few simple steps, you have a hot, delicious gourd soup with tender pork ribs that is incredibly appealing. What are you waiting for? Quickly head to the kitchen and make this soup for the whole family to enjoy!
How to choose fresh and delicious young gourds
- You should choose medium-sized gourds that are elongated, with green skin, still hairy, soft skin (easy to press with a fingernail), heavy in hand, large stem, and fresh sap marks indicating they are young gourds, which will be soft and sweet when eaten.
- Do not choose overly large gourds, with hard skin, and yellowish color because those are old gourds, with many seeds, hard flesh, and will taste sour, easily affecting the flavor of the dish.
See more:
With 3 ways to cook fresh shrimp gourd soup, snakehead fish, and tender pork ribs, you can choose to make a delicious, refreshing, nutritious soup that also brings warmth to the family meal. Wishing you success in making the dish according to the above recipe!
*Refer to the recipes and images from the YouTube channels: Small Kitchen Corner, Delicious Dishes and LiLi Family Life in America
