Preparation
30 minutes
Cooking
30 minutes
Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Clam Melon Soup Serves 3 people
Clams 250 gr Clam juice 200 ml Melon 200 gr Spring onion 2 stalks Coriander a little Shallots 2 bulbs Garlic 2 cloves Fish sauce 1 teaspoon Cooking oil 2 tablespoons Common spices a little (Seasoning/ Sugar/ Ground pepper)
How to choose fresh ingredients
How to choose fresh clams
- Choose clams with intact shells, not broken or crushed. When touched, the shell feels hard and the living clam will gradually close its shell.
- Avoid buying frozen clams as they will not be fresh. Also, avoid choosing clams that have a strong fishy smell as it will affect the dish and your health.
- To save time, you can buy pre-cooked clams to prepare your dish. However, you should also choose a reputable place to ensure clear origins!
How to choose fresh bottle gourd
- Fresh bottle gourds have bright green skin, intact and not bruised.
- When touched, you can feel the fine hairs, it is soft and smooth, and feels firm when held, not too light. Additionally, the stem should be thick, firmly attached to the body, and may have sap, indicating it was just harvested.
- Typically, young bottle gourds taste better than older ones because they are sweeter and softer to eat.
How to prepare Bottle Gourd Soup with Clams
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Prepare the ingredients
Wash the clams thoroughly. Soak the clams in bowl for 20 – 30 minutes. When you see the sediment settle, discard the sediment and keep only the clear water.
Chop green onions and cilantro after washing and draining. Peel and finely chop the shallots and garlic.
Tip:
- Avoid bruising the green onions and cilantro when cutting, so keep them very dry.
- You can boil the clams to extract clam water, or clam water is also sold when you buy pre-cooked clams at the market.
- If you do not use clam water, you can replace it with filtered water to cook the soup.
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Sauté clams
Put a pot on the stove with 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, chopped shallots, and minced garlic sautéed until fragrant over medium heat.
Then add clams, 1 teaspoon of fish sauce, 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, and 1 teaspoon of ground pepper, and sauté for 2 minutes.
Next, add the clam juice and sauté for another 2 minutes.
Tip: To prevent the clams from losing nutrients and the meat from shrinking, do not use too high heat and do not sauté for too long.
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Cook clam soup with pumpkin
Using the same pot where the clams were sautéed, add 300 ml of clam juice and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.
When the water boils, add the pumpkin along with 1 teaspoon of sugar and 2 teaspoons of seasoning powder, stir well for 5 minutes, then season to taste with chopped green onions and cilantro before turning off the heat.
Tip: Green onions and cilantro cook very quickly, so do not add them too early.
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Finished product
The soup today is truly very appetizing. Even if you are a busy person, you don’t have to worry too much because it won’t take too long to create such an attractive dish.
The gourd soup cooked with clams carries the natural sweetness of clams and gourd combined together, accompanied by the faint aroma of onions and herbs, creating an unforgettable highlight. The soup is suitable to be eaten with other savory dishes during meals. Let’s enjoy your finished product right away!
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The article above has brought you how to make gourd soup with clams with an extremely simple recipe, not taking too much time to prepare while still achieving a truly delicious dish. Wishing you success and a very tasty meal with your family!
*Source of the recipe and images shared from Facebook: Huỳnh Ngân
