Chinese Pumpkin Soup with Carrots
A deliciously savory dish, this Chinese Pumpkin Soup with carrots is also very nutritious and really easy to make in a few simple steps! (Basically, cut + steam!)
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 227kcal
Equipment
- Melon baller or ice-cream scoop Substitute: spoon
- Knife and cutting board
- steamer
- Large bowl that is heat-proof
Ingredients
- 6 dried scallops Rinsed then soaked for 30 minutes in hot water. Do not try to scrub off all the white "powder" on the surface of the dried scallops! They contain lots of flavor.
- 2 small pumpkins Yields about 1 Cup of pumpkin flesh
- 2 carrots Peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 4 jujubes deseeded and cut into quarters
- 4 pieces 1 inch by 1 inch dried kelp Don't wash off the white powder as it is the natural umami of the seaweed! Simply use a damp cloth to remove any dirt.
- 3 Cups Chicken stock Substitute: pork stock.
- ½ Tablespoon Shaoxing wine Substitute: sake
- ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
Instructions
- Slice the top of the pumpkin. Make sure you slice at the top if using the pumpkin as a bowl (see Notes.)
- Use a melon baller or an ice cream scoop (or just a regular spoon) to scoop out the pumpkin flesh and seeds.Separate the flesh from the seeds- you can regrow the seeds or roast them. The flesh will be added to the Chinese soup.
- Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl that can go into the steamer and steam for 1 hour.
- Season to taste, then serve.
Notes
Important: If your pumpkin is bitter, don't eat it! Pumpkins, squashes and gourds are cucurbits and may contain cucurbitacin. This is a toxic, bitter tasting compound which may lead to food poisoning and hair loss.
If you don't want the pumpkin to dissolve into the soup, only add it for the last 20 minutes of steaming OR leave the skin on if adding the pumpkin right from the start.
Serving tip: if you can get small pumpkins, they make wonderful serving bowls for this Chinese pumpkin soup! Cook the soup as per the recipe then steam the pumpkins for 5-15 minutes (depending on the thickness)- you want it cooked but still firm enough to hold the soup- then ladle the steamed soup into them.
Storage: Extra soup can be kept in the fridge for 2-3 days. Simply reboil before serving. Extra pumpkin can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Note: the nutritional information is an estimate automatically calculated using the WPRM recipe maker and I am not responsible for its veracity.
Nutrition
Calories: 227kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 296mg | Potassium: 2518mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 57916IU | Vitamin C: 61mg | Calcium: 154mg | Iron: 6mg