Skip to content

How to Make Pork Rib and Bitter Melon Soup

Pork Rib and Bitter Melon Soup is a delicious and easy-to-cook soup. However, the cooking time is generally quite long; it is best to start preparing at least 4 hours in advance.

Estimated Cooking Difficulty: ★★★★

Essential Ingredients and Tools

Optional Tools

  • Electric Pressure Cooker (can greatly simplify the cooking process and time)
  • Clay Pot (more suitable for stewing soup compared to a wok)

Required Ingredients

  • Pork Ribs
  • Bitter Melon
  • Dried Shrimp

Measurements

Determine how many servings you want to make before each preparation. One serving is sufficient for 4 people. Per serving:

  • Pork Ribs: 250g to 500g
  • Bitter Melon: 100g to 200g
  • Dried Shrimp: 5g to 15g
  • Ginger: 5~10g (optional, used to remove fishy odors during blanching)

Instructions

  • Wash the pork ribs and cut them into small pieces approximately 4cm ±2cm * 3 ± 2cm (if you do not have a tool for chopping ribs, ask the butcher for help)
  • Add 700ml of cold water and the pork ribs to a wok, heat until boiling, then turn off the heat and remove the ribs

Cooking in a Soup Pot

  • Add 1100ml of water and the pork ribs to the soup pot, and bring to a boil over high heat
  • Once the water boils, add the bitter melon and dried shrimp, reduce to low heat, and simmer for 120~240 minutes (after 120 minutes, you can remove a piece of meat to taste; if the meat separates easily from the bone, turn off the heat)
  • When serving, add salt and white pepper. Recommended amounts are 0.3 to 0.6g of salt and 0.1 to 0.5g of white pepper per 250ml

Cooking in an Electric Pressure Cooker

  • Add 1000ml of water along with the pork ribs, dried shrimp, and bitter melon
  • Select the "Stew Soup" function and cook (typically pressure cooking for 45 minutes)
  • Serve and season with salt and pepper as done with the soup pot

Additional Notes

  • You can use other umami-rich ingredients to replace dried shrimp, such as dried scallops (Yao Zhu)

If you encounter any issues or have suggestions for improvement while following this guide, please submit an Issue or Pull Request.