Bitter Melon & Pork Soup
By Micki Brown
Serves 4
1 lb 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
1
In a Dutch oven, brown the ground pork.
2
When nearly cooked through, add the garlic and simmer for about 30 seconds.
3
Add the melons, carrots, okra, broth, pepper, soy sauce, fish sauce and honey
4
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
5
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.
Ingredients
1 lb 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