English Gourd Soup With Soy Beans, Dried Cuttle Fish & Pork Ribs

Sometimes eating out in Chinese restaurant popped me an idea on new soup recipes. I pay attention on the ingredients used. I learn their creative way to "mix & match" the ingredients.

If English gourd alone is used to boil soup with pork ribs, the soup will not be so flavorful. It will taste quite bland. However, with added soy beans and dried cuttle fish, the soup turns into something delicious.

English Gourd Soup With Soy Beans, Dried Cuttle & Pork Ribs
Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 medium size English gourd, about 300gm. Peel, remove seed and cut into bite size.
1 palm full of soy beans, soak for about 10 minutes
1/4 of small dried cuttle fish, soak and cut into bite size

300g of pork ribs

800ml of water

salt & pepper to taste

Methods:

1. Bring water to boil in a pot. Then pour it to the slow cooker.

2. Put in pork ribs, soy beans and dried cuttle fish. Cook under high heat for 3 hours .

3. Add English gourd and light soy sauce to taste. Let it simmer under high heat for another one hour and shift to auto mode for another 2 hours.

4. Add salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Tips:
The dried cuttle fish must be prepared just before the soup is boiled. It will need to be soaked, skinned and cut. Just a small piece will do, otherwise the soup is overwhelmed by the fishy smell. :)