Simple Chinese Pork Rib Soup with Winter Melon (排骨冬瓜汤)

Name: Simple Chinese Pork Rib Soup with Winter Melon (排骨冬瓜汤)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: Serves 3–4
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 500 g pork ribs, chopped into 4–5 cm pieces; 15 g ginger, sliced (about 6–8 thin slices); 15 ml neutral oil (optional, for searing); 1.5 L hot water (boiling or just-off-boil); 4 g fine salt, plus more to taste; 1 g white pepper (optional); 450 g winter melon (冬瓜), peeled and cut into 3 cm chunks (remove soft seedy core if very mature); 2 scallions, cut into 5 cm lengths (optional)

Judah Newman·1 hr 30 min·Serves 3–4

This is a clean, comforting Cantonese-style pork rib soup: lightly browned ribs, plenty of ginger, and a clear broth finished with tender winter melon. It’s simple but tastes deep and savory if you take a moment to blanch the ribs and skim the scum as it simmers. The winter melon goes in near the end so it stays intact and sweet, giving you a gentle, refreshing soup that’s perfect with rice.

soup
Chinese
comfort food
one-pot

1 hr 30 min total · 15 min prep · 1 hr 15 min cook

360 kcal · 28g protein · 6g carbs · 25g fat total

medium pot or Dutch oven · fine-mesh skimmer (helpful)

Ingredients

•500 g pork ribs, chopped into 4–5 cm pieces
•15 g ginger, sliced (about 6–8 thin slices)
•15 ml neutral oil (optional, for searing)
•1.5 L hot water (boiling or just-off-boil)
•4 g fine salt, plus more to taste
•1 g white pepper (optional)
•450 g winter melon (冬瓜), peeled and cut into 3 cm chunks (remove soft seedy core if very mature)
•2 scallions, cut into 5 cm lengths (optional)

Instructions

Optional but highly recommended prep (clean broth)

Put the ribs in a pot and cover with cold water by 2–3 cm. Bring to a hard boil for 3 minutes; you’ll see grey foam and impurities rise.

Drain, rinse the ribs well, and quickly rinse the pot clean.

Build the soup

Heat a pot (or deep pan) over medium-high. Add the oil (if using), then the ginger; cook until the ginger is fragrant and just starting to turn golden, about 30–60 seconds.

Add the ribs and sear/braise in the pan for 4–6 minutes, turning, until the surface loses its raw color and you get a little browning.

Pour in the hot water (this helps keep the broth clearer). Bring to a boil, then immediately lower to a gentle simmer—small, steady bubbles rather than a rolling boil.

Simmer uncovered 45–60 minutes, skimming any foam/fat that collects on top. The broth should smell porky and gingery, and the ribs should be tender when you pinch with chopsticks; meat should pull slightly from the bone.

Add the winter melon and simmer 12–18 minutes, until the pieces turn slightly translucent and a chopstick slides in with little resistance but the chunks still hold their shape.

Season with salt (start with 4 g, then adjust) and white pepper if using. Add scallions for the last 2 minutes if you like.

Serve hot. If the surface looks a bit oily, you can spoon off some fat for a cleaner sip.

Tip: If your winter melon has a thick green skin you’d like to keep for color, peel it “stripey” (alternating strips) rather than fully peeling.

Notes

What to be aware of: Keep the simmer gentle—hard boiling makes the broth cloudy and can make ribs a bit tough. Hot water is a good tip for clarity and steady temperature, but the real game-changer is the quick blanch + rinse step. Don’t add salt early if you want the meat extra tender; season at the end. Variations (still simple): add 1–2 dried shiitake (soaked) for deeper aroma, or a small handful of goji berries for color (skip if you prefer ultra-classic). Storage: cool quickly, refrigerate up to 3 days; the fat will solidify on top and can be lifted off easily before reheating.

Ingredients

•500 g pork ribs, chopped into 4–5 cm pieces

•15 g ginger, sliced (about 6–8 thin slices)

•15 ml neutral oil (optional, for searing)

•1.5 L hot water (boiling or just-off-boil)

•4 g fine salt, plus more to taste

•1 g white pepper (optional)

•450 g winter melon (冬瓜), peeled and cut into 3 cm chunks (remove soft seedy core if very mature)

•2 scallions, cut into 5 cm lengths (optional)