Winter Melon Soft-shell Turtle Soup
This Winter Melon Soft-Shelled Turtle Soup is free of fishy odor and greasiness, has an exceptionally rich, delicious flavor that outshines even hearty meat dishes, is highly nourishing, and also provides benefits including promoting dark hair, moisturizing skin, and anti-aging effects.
Ingredients
soft-shell turtle
1
winter melon
200 g
scallions
2
ginger
to taste
cooking wine
to taste
salt
to taste
red dates
5
Instructions
1
Step 1
Ask the fishmonger to help clean the live soft-shell turtle you bought, removing the innards.
2
Step 2
Open the shell, remove the yellow fat inside, and wash thoroughly.
3
Step 3
Add an appropriate amount of water to a pot and bring it to a boil. Add the cleaned turtle and blanch for 1–2 minutes, then remove.
4
Step 4
Scrape off all the dark and old skin from every part of the turtle. This step is actually quite simple—the old skin comes off easily with a light scrape after blanching. Rinse repeatedly with clean water and check carefully for any spots you may have missed.
5
Step 5
Peel the scallions, wash them, and roll into coils for easy removal later. Peel the ginger, wash it, and slice.
6
Step 6
Peel the winter melon and scoop out the pulp, then wash and cut into chunks for later use.
7
Step 7
Add a generous amount of water to a clay pot, add the rinsed turtle, splash in a little cooking wine to remove the fishy smell, add the scallion coils and ginger slices, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat.
8
Step 8
Simmer over medium-low heat for about half an hour.
9
Step 9
Lift the lid, add the winter melon and red dates, bring back to a boil over high heat, then simmer over medium-low heat.
10
Step 10
Simmer until the winter melon turns translucent, season with a little salt to taste. You can add pepper and cilantro if you like, but I added nothing—those would create a different kind of flavor, and I prefer the pure, original taste of the fresh broth!
11
Step 11
Turn off the heat, fish out the scallion and ginger, and serve. The weather is cold—enjoy a steaming bowl of turtle soup, warm and comforting, nutritious and delicious.
