Bitter Melon & Pork Soup

By Micki Brown

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground pork

2 bitter melons, quartered lengthwise, seeds and pulp discarded, then sliced

1 cup sliced carrots

1 large handful small okra, sliced

6 cups chicken broth

½ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp black pepper

2 tsp soy sauce

2 tsp fish sauce

¼ cup raw honey

4 green onions, sliced

Directions:

In a Dutch oven, brown the ground pork. When nearly cooked through, add the garlic and simmer for about 30 seconds. Add the melons, carrots, okra, broth, pepper, soy sauce, fish sauce and honey. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for about 45 minutes or until the melon and carrots are tender. Add the green onions. Serve over brown short-grain rice.

Note: Bitter melon is very bitter. The honey in the recipe mellows it out quite a bit, but it still retains some bitterness. Adjust the honey according to your tastes. Using lemon juice can help to mellow the bitterness, as can adding ketchup as a condiment.