Stuffed Bitter Melon Soup, Bitter Gourd Soup with Pork
Bitter melon is hollowed out, stuffed with seasoned ground pork, wood ear mushrooms and glass noodles, then simmered in a clear broth until tender. One serving is about 425 g (one stuffed melon piece with broth). This canh kho qua recipe makes 6 servings in about 1 hour 10 minutes.
Canh kho qua is a Tet (Lunar New Year) soup in southern Vietnam, where its name is a piece of wordplay: kho qua sounds like 'hardship passes', so families eat it hoping the new year brings easier times. The bitterness of the melon is the point — it is balanced by the savoury pork filling and the clear, lightly sweetened broth.
Pairs well with: Steamed jasmine rice and a small dish of fish sauce with chilli.
Provenance
Vietnam
Vietnamese Tet Classic
East & South Asia
Time Dedication
1h 10m
25m prep • 45m cook
Batch Yield
6 Servings
246 kcal per serving
1 serving ≈ 425 g
Technical Skill
Intermediate
Medium (Stuffing)
Meal Timing & Digestive Fit
Breakfast
Not Advised
Lunch
Prime Metabolic Fit
Dinner
Ideal Hearty Main
Snack & Tea
Inappropriate
Vietnamese Tet Classic
Photo: Ngô Trung, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Heritage Formulary
Estimated cost: Low — about $2–3 per serving at home (USD)
Made the southern way: melon hollowed clean, filling packed firm, broth kept clear and simmered gently so the melon holds its shape.
Execution Methodology & Culinary Technique
Prep Stage: Hollow the Melon and Mix the Filling
25 Mins • Hollowing & Mixing
Soak the 15 g wood ear mushrooms and 30 g glass noodles in warm water for 15 minutes, then drain and chop fine. Cut the 600 g bitter melon in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds and white pith. Mix the 400 g ground pork with the mushrooms, noodles, 30 g shallot, 10 g garlic, 10 ml of the fish sauce and the 2 g black pepper until sticky.
Maestro Tip: Scrape the white pith out well — it is the most bitter part, and leaving it in makes the soup harsh.
20 Mins Room temperature, ~20°C (68°F)
Soak the 15 g wood ear mushrooms and 30 g glass noodles in warm water for 15 minutes, then drain and chop fine. Halve the 600 g bitter melon lengthways, scoop out the seeds and white pith, and mix the filling: the 400 g ground pork, mushrooms, noodles, 30 g shallot, 10 g garlic, 10 ml fish sauce and 2 g black pepper.
Mix the filling until it turns sticky — that is what holds it inside the melon.
Done when: The filling holds together when squeezed in your hand.
10 Mins Room temperature, ~20°C (68°F)
Pack the filling firmly into each melon half, mounding it slightly, and trim the ends flat so the pieces sit neatly in the pot.
Press out air pockets as you fill, or the stuffing shrinks away from the melon.
Done when: The filling is flush with the cut ends, with no air gaps.
10 Mins Simmering, about 95°C (200°F)
Pour the 1500 ml chicken broth into a large pot with the 5 g sugar and 2 g salt and bring to a gentle simmer, skimming off any foam.
Keep the heat gentle — a hard boil clouds the broth.
Done when: Clear broth with gentle bubbles and no foam on the surface.
25 Mins Gentle simmer, about 95°C (200°F)
Lower the stuffed melon into the broth, cover, and simmer gently for 25 minutes, until the melon is tender and the pork is cooked through.
Do not stir hard — the melon pieces break if they are knocked about.
Done when: The pork centre reaches 71°C (160°F) and the melon is tender when pierced with a chopstick.
5 Mins Hot, about 85°C (185°F)
Stir in the remaining 10 ml fish sauce, taste, and adjust the salt. Ladle into deep bowls and scatter the 30 g spring onions and coriander over the top with a little extra black pepper.
Season at the end — the broth reduces and concentrates as it simmers.
Done when: The broth is savoury and balanced, and the melon holds its shape in the bowl.
Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve hot in deep bowls with steamed rice. Spoon the broth over the rice — it carries the flavour of the whole pot.
Nutritional Physiology & Benefits
Energy
246
kcal / serving
Protein
17g
Complete AA
Carbs
14g
Complex
Fats
15g
Healthy
| Energy | 246 kcal |
| Protein | 17 g |
| Carbohydrates | 14 g |
| Fat | 15 g |
| Fibre | 4.2 g |
| Sugar | 2.2 g |
| Sodium | 861 mg |
| Energy | 58 kcal |
| Protein | 3.9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 3.4 g |
| Fat | 3.4 g |
| Fibre | 1 g |
| Sugar | 0.5 g |
| Sodium | 203 mg |
Nutrition values are estimated — calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients.
Vitamins & minerals: Bitter melon supplies vitamin C and folate, pork adds B vitamins and iron, and the herbs bring vitamin K.
Lean Protein
About 16.6 g of protein per serving from the pork filling, which helps keep you full on a light soup.
Light but Filling
At about 246 kcal per serving, the soup is light yet satisfying thanks to the protein and fibre.
Bitter Melon Fibre
Bitter melon brings about 4 g of fibre per serving, plus vitamin C and folate.
Food Pairings
To optimize nutrient absorption and elevate the sensory depth, pair with these authentic accompaniments:
Sides
Steamed Jasmine Rice
Rice soaks up the savoury broth and turns a light soup into a complete lunch.
Sauces
Chilli Fish Sauce
A small dish of fish sauce with sliced chilli lets each person add heat and salt to taste.
Vegetables
Pickled Mustard Greens
Sour pickled greens cut the richness of the pork filling and add a refreshing crunch.
Drinks
Iced Green Tea
Unsweetened iced tea refreshes the palate after the warm, slightly bitter soup.
Complete menu
Serve one stuffed melon piece per person with steamed jasmine rice, a small dish of fish sauce with chilli, and pickled mustard greens — the rice soaks up the broth and the pickles cut the richness.
Digestive Guardrails
To prevent digestive distress, sluggishness, or palate clash, avoid pairing the dish with these elements:
Overcooking the Melon
Melon simmered too long turns mushy and much more bitter, and the pieces fall apart in the bowl. Simmer gently and stop as soon as it is tender.
Too Much Fish Sauce at the Table
The soup already has about 860 mg of sodium per serving, so extra fish sauce at the table can push salt very high in one meal. This is general information, not medical advice.
General information only, not medical advice — consult a doctor for personal dietary decisions.
Who Should Eat It
Health Conditions — Adjust or Avoid
If you have a medical condition, consult your doctor before changing your diet.
Storage & Use
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Light Digestion
Nothing is fried, so the rolls stay light and fresh — a cool, herb-filled snack for hot days.
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Pork belly slowly braised in coconut water and caramel until meltingly tender, with golden eggs that soak up the sweet-savoury sauce — the Vietnamese family dish that tastes better the next day.
Comfort & Sustained Energy
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WARNING: This dish is made from raw duck blood and eating it is NOT recommended. Raw blood can carry Streptococcus suis (which causes meningitis and sepsis — people in Vietnam have died after eating pig-blood tiet canh), avian influenza from duck blood, salmonella and other dangerous germs. Vietnam's Ministry of Health advises against eating tiet canh, and no preparation method — not even blood from a fresh or trusted source — makes raw blood fully safe. This page describes the traditional Hanoi preparation, tiết canh vịt, for cultural knowledge only. One serving is about 241 g: a small bowl of fresh duck blood mixed with fish sauce, poured over finely chopped cooked duck meat and left to set into a soft, trembling jelly, then finished with crushed roasted peanuts, fresh herbs, lime and chili, and served cold.
Cultural Discovery
A traditional northern Vietnamese snack of raw duck blood set into a soft jelly with cooked duck meat, herbs and peanuts — described here for cultural knowledge, with a serious safety warning.
