Winter Melon & Meatball Soup
冬瓜丸子汤
English: Winter Melon & Meatball Soup
Chinese: 冬瓜丸子汤
Pinyin: donggua wanzi tang
Literal: Winter melon meatball soup
Winter melon is one of the mildest and most delicate vegetables in the Chinese kitchen. Once simmered, its pale flesh turns smooth and almost translucent, becoming soft but not mushy. This is exactly the soup needed after a few days of excessive eating, when life feels too hectic, when you want to feel grounded again.
Where southern Chinese soups may simmer for hours or even days - layered with dried seafood, medicinal herbs, and extravagant complexity - Northern soup is simpler. Here: a few handmade pork meatballs, a scattering of ginger, a sprinkle of spring onion and generous chunks of winter melon are the only flotsam of the broth. The elegance lies in restraint.
After a quick simmer, what emerges is a dish with a cleansing warmth, one that feels both nourishing and austere - typical of Northern Chinese cooking. Usually served in late autumn when the temperature starts to drop and we all want something warmer, Winter Melon and Meatball Soup brings comfort without weight - light enough to be sipped, substantial enough to satisfy, a whispering dish that is much loved by locals of the city.
Serves 3-4
Ingredients
For the soup
500g winter melon
2 spring onions
½ tablespoon ginger - finely chopped
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon white pepper
For the Pork Meatballs
300g minced pork
1 tablespoons ginger - finely chopped
2 spring onions - chopped
1 egg - white only
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
pinch salt
pinch white pepper
½ teaspoon sesame oil
Method
Start by making the meatballs. Combine all the meatball ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix until everything is well incorporated and the mixture holds together.
Take a small handful of the mixture and roll it between your palms to form balls slightly larger than a cherry (about 2cm diameter). You should get about 18 meatballs. Place them on a tray or plate, cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Next, prepare the soup. Peel the melon and scoop out any seeds and pulp from the centre. Cut the winter melon into cubes roughly 2cm wide. Slice the spring onions, separating the white parts from the green. Set the green parts aside for garnish.
Heat a wok or large saucepan over medium heat with a dash of oil. Add the ginger, the white part of the spring onions, and the winter melon. Stir-fry for about 1 minute, then pour in 900ml of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
Add the meatballs to the soup and season with salt and white pepper. Simmer for another 5–10 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. The cooking time will vary depending on their size.
Finish by sprinkling over the reserved green spring onions. Ladle into bowls - I usually aim to give about 4 to 5 meatballs per person. Serve piping hot.
