Delicious and Refreshing Bitter Melon Soup with Beef for Cooling Down

How to prepare Beef Bitter Melon Soup

• 1

  Prepare the beef

  Take a small piece of ginger (about 1/3 of the prepared ginger), cut into thin strips, and the rest into small slices, then crush. Divide the crushed ginger into two parts. Mince 1 onion.

  Put the beef into a large bowl or basin. Use half of the crushed ginger to rub thoroughly with the beef to eliminate the smell of the meat. Then rinse the beef thoroughly with clean water about 3-4 times.

  Boil about half a liter of water, add half a tablespoon of salt and the crushed ginger to the pot, cook until boiling, then add the rinsed ginger, blanch for about 1 minute, then remove and let cool.

  Then cut the beef into bite-sized cubes (about the size of a finger joint). Mince 1 shallot.

  Marinate the beef with minced shallot, 1 teaspoon of seasoning, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of ground pepper. Use chopsticks to mix well and let it sit for about 15 minutes for the beef to absorb the seasoning evenly.

  

  

  

  
• 2

  Prepare the bitter melon and other ingredients

  Preparing the bitter melon:

  • Wash the bitter melon thoroughly and let it drain.
  • Then, cut the bitter melon in half, scoop out the seeds using a spoon, starting from the bottom and moving to the top, making the removal of the seeds very easy and quick.
  • After removing the seeds, cut the bitter melon into bite-sized pieces (about 1.5 finger joints).
  • Mix half a bowl of water with half a tablespoon of salt. Soak the bitter melon in the diluted salt water for about 10 minutes to remove its bitterness.
  • Then, take the bitter melon out, rinse it thoroughly with water, and let it drain.

  See more: Simple and easy tips to remove the bitterness of bitter melon

  Preparing other ingredients:

  • Slice the chili diagonally.
  • Chop the cilantro and green onions into bite-sized pieces.
  • Crush the garlic.
  • Crush 2 shallots.

  

  

  

  
• 3

  Cooking Soup

  Heat 3 tablespoons of oil. When the oil is hot, add the crushed garlic and onion and sauté until the onion and garlic turn golden. Pour 1 liter of water into the pot. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil.

  After the water has boiled, add the marinated beef and simmer for about half an hour on low heat to ensure the beef is tender. While simmering, remember to skim off the foam to prevent the soup from having a beefy smell.

  Tip: You can stew the beef in a pressure cooker, which will make the meat tender faster.

  Once the beef is tender, add the bitter melon and cook for about 10 minutes until the bitter melon is cooked. When adding the bitter melon, increase the heat to keep the bitter melon a vibrant green color.

  Note: To maintain the green color of the bitter melon, do not cover the pot while cooking.

  Add 1 tablespoon of seasoning, 1 teaspoon of ground pepper, and 1 teaspoon of sugar into the soup. Adjust the seasoning to taste.

  Finally, add the julienned ginger and turn off the heat.

  

  

  

  
• 4

  Final Product

  After ladling the soup into a bowl, you can decorate it with sliced chili, green onions, and coriander to enhance the dish’s flavor. Especially when served alongside white rice.

  Bitter melon soup with beef is extremely refreshing, with a slightly bitter aftertaste from the bitter melon and tender, sweet, delicious beef. Dipping it in pure fish sauce with a few slices of spicy chili will make your meal even more “tingling” and appetizing.