Chay gourd soup is a soup dish used to cool down on hot days, very good because of its refreshing and delicious flavor. On a hot day, enjoying chay gourd soup is simply wonderful! Let’s join TasteVN in the kitchen to make 3 chay gourd soups for the whole family right away!
1. Chay gourd soup with ribs
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Preparation
20 minutes
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Cooking
20 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Chay Gourd Soup with Ribs For 4 servings
Chay gourd 3 pieces Ribs 300 gr Green onions/coriander A little Rock sugar 1 tablespoon Common seasonings A little (salt/seasoning powder/crushed pepper)
How to choose fresh and delicious ribs
- Choose ribs that are light pink, springy when pressed, and have no unpleasant smell. This indicates fresh ribs.
- It is advisable to choose ribs with flat and small bones. This type of rib has more meat and less bone than larger ribs.
- Do not choose ribs with a foul smell, pale meat, slimy texture, and that do not spring back when pressed.
How to prepare Soup with Chayote and Pork Ribs
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Prepare the Pork Ribs
Rinse the pork ribs thoroughly after buying. Then, eliminate the smell by blanching them in boiling water for about 2 – 3 minutes, then remove and let them drain.
Methods to clean ribs, no odor
- Method 1: Rub the ribs with salt for about 2 – 3 minutes and rinse with water to remove the fishy smell.
- Method 2: Using vinegar or alcohol for washing can also eliminate the odor from the ribs.
- Method 3: You can also eliminate the smell of ribs by blanching them in boiling water with a few smashed ginger slices, then rinse with clean water.
See details: How to clean pork ribs without odor
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Prepare other ingredients
Wash the chayote, peel it, cut it in half, and remove the seed in the middle. Cut the chayote into square pieces about the thickness of a finger.
Wash the scallions and cilantro, cut off the roots, then cut them into bite-sized pieces.
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Cooking Soup
Place a pot of boiling water on the stove with about 1 liter of water (approximately 1 full bowl) and bring it to a boil. When the water is boiling, add the ribs and cook for about 20 minutes until the ribs are tender.
Once the ribs are tender, add 1 tablespoon of rock sugar, 1 tablespoon of seasoning powder, and 1 teaspoon of salt.
Add the chayote and cook for an additional 5 – 7 minutes until the chayote is cooked. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Scoop the soup into a bowl and sprinkle chopped scallions, cilantro, and ground pepper on top, then enjoy.
Tip:
- To make the soup fragrant and the broth clear, remember to regularly skim off the foam from the soup.
- Rock sugar is used to make the soup sweeter; if you don’t have rock sugar at home, you can substitute it with white sugar.
- You can cook the ribs using a pressure cooker for faster tenderness.
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Final Product
The chayote and ribs soup is delicious, with tender ribs, flavorful broth, and crunchy sweet chayote, making it an extremely appealing dish to serve your family!
2. Fresh Shrimp and Chayote Soup
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Preparation
15 minutes
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Cooking
15 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Fresh Shrimp and Chayote Soup Serves 4 people
Shrimp 100 gr Chayote 2 pieces Green onion 1 stalk Shallots 2 bulbs Fish sauce 1/2 tablespoon Cooking oil 2 tablespoons Common seasoning a little (salt/ seasoning powder/ monosodium glutamate)
How to choose fresh and delicious shrimp
- Fresh and delicious shrimp will have an intact, firm shell, transparent color, and a distinctive smell without being fishy. Additionally, the head and legs of the shrimp should be tightly attached to the body, not loose.
- Choose shrimp with slightly curved bodies, firm flesh, and a tail that is neatly tucked together.
- Do not buy shrimp with tails that are spread out and not neatly arranged, as these may be shrimp that have been caught for a long time or have been soaked in preservatives.
How to prepare Fresh Shrimp and Chayote Soup
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Prepare the ingredients
Wash the shrimp, remove the head and legs, then eliminate the fishy smell by soaking the shrimp in a diluted saltwater solution for about 5 – 10 minutes and then rinse with water. After that, take them out to drain.
Cut the green onion into bite-sized pieces. Mince the shallots.
Wash the chayote, peel it, cut it in half, remove the seeds in the middle, and then cut it into bite-sized pieces.
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Cook the soup
Place a pot on the stove and add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, heat it up. Add minced shallots and sauté until fragrant.
Then add the shrimp and stir-fry for 2 – 3 minutes until the shrimp turns red, then add about 700ml of water (about 3/4 bowl of water) and bring to a boil.
When the water boils, add the chayote and cook for about 5 – 7 minutes until the chayote is cooked. Add 1/2 tablespoon of fish sauce, 1 teaspoon of seasoning, and 1/2 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, stir well. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking, then turn off the heat.
Scoop the soup into a bowl and sprinkle chopped green onions on top, and it’s ready to enjoy.
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Final product
Shrimp is one of the best ingredients that pairs well with chayote. The flavor of the soup blends beautifully, with the chayote just cooked, soft, and delicious.
This soup is best served with white rice, suitable for the tastes of the whole family.
3. Chay squash soup with meatballs
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Preparation
10 minutes
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Cooking
10 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Chay squash soup with meatballs For 4 servings
Fresh pork sausage 150 gr (meatballs) Chay squash 2 pieces Minced shallots 1 tablespoon Green onions 1 stalk Cooking oil 2 tablespoons Fish sauce 1 tablespoon Seasoning powder/ MSG A little
How to choose delicious fresh pork sausage (meatballs)
- Fresh pork sausage (meatballs) should have a light pink color, be well-formed into a smooth, elastic mass that can be easily shaped.
- You can buy fresh pork sausage (meatballs) at the meat counter in markets, meat shops, grocery stores, or in supermarkets.
- Additionally, you can make fresh pork sausage yourself using the recipe from TasteVN.
How to cook Chay squash soup with meatballs
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Prepare the ingredients
Wash the chay squash, peel it, cut it in half, and then cut it into bite-sized pieces.
Wash the green onions, trim the roots, and chop them finely.
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Cook the soup
Place a pot on the stove, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, and heat it. When the oil is hot, add 1 tablespoon of minced shallots and sauté until fragrant.
Pour in about 700ml of water (about 3/4 of a bowl) and bring to a boil.
Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat and use a spoon to scoop the mushroom meatballs into the pot. You should scoop them to a size that is just right for eating, not too big and not too small.
After adding all the meatballs, boil for about 5 – 7 minutes until they are cooked. Then add the chayote and cook for an additional 4 – 5 minutes until the chayote is tender.
Add 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 2 teaspoons of seasoning powder, and 1 teaspoon of MSG to the pot, and cook for another 1 – 2 minutes. Adjust the seasoning to taste, add chopped green onions, then turn off the heat.
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Final product
The soup with chayote and mushroom meatballs is refreshing and ready for hot sunny days! The crunchy and sweet chayote, perfectly cooked, combined with the delicious mushroom meatballs, is the perfect choice for a family meal.
How to choose fresh and delicious chayote
- You should choose chayote that is still fresh, not bruised, or has sting marks, with a shiny skin and many spines.
- Additionally, you can press the fruit with your hand to determine if it is young or not. If the fruit is soft and easy to press, it is young; if it feels hard and somewhat fibrous, then it is an older chayote. It is advisable to buy young chayote because it is tastier and sweeter.
- For convenience in preparation, you should choose chayote with fewer ridges.
How to prepare chayote without sticky sap
- Since chayote has a certain amount of sap inside, to avoid getting sap on your hands which can be uncomfortable during preparation, you should prepare a bowl of water. When peeling, soak the chayote in the bowl of water for about 1 – 2 minutes to reduce the sap inside the fruit, so it won’t stick to your hands anymore.
- After soaking the chayote, take it out and cut it in half. If the chayote still has sap sticking to your hands, continue soaking for 1 – 2 minutes and then cut the chayote into smaller pieces.
See more
So you have learned the recipe for 3 dishes of bottle gourd soup that are extremely simple and refreshing for your family. Wishing you success in your preparation!
*Images and recipes referenced from the YouTube channel LiLi Family Life in America, Hà Nguyễn Thị Thanh
