A comforting opo squash soup with meatballs 瓠子肉丸湯 (hù zi ròu wán tāng) that’s commonly served in Taiwanese households. The opo squash is cooked just until translucent in a flavorful broth, with super juicy and soft meatballs.
Cut a sliver off each end of the opo squash, then cut in half lengthwise. With the flat sides down, cut each half down the middle lengthwise again. Then cut into 1-inch thick pieces.
1 large opo squash
Remove defrosted tofu from its original package. If it hasn’t fully defrosted yet, you can place the package into a medium mixing bowl and cover the tofu in hot water. Allow it to warm up for 5 minutes.
12 ounces firm tofu
Squeeze the defrosted tofu over a medium bowl or container until most of the liquid is released. Then crumble the tofu with your hands and set aside.
Place the sliced ginger in a large (4-quart) stockpot and fill with the low-sodium chicken stock and cold water. Season with 1 teaspoon of Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to a simmer.
½ inch piece of ginger, 1 quart chicken stock, 1 quart water
While the pot is being heated, prepare the meatballs.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the tofu, ground turkey, garlic, 1 teaspoon of salt, and ground white pepper. Mix with chopsticks just until well combined.
Form 1½-inch diameter meatballs with your hands by squeezing the mixture through your left thumb and index finger (this pro technique is shown in the step-by-step photos in the recipe post).
Add the prepared meatballs to the simmering stock. Bring back up to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Then add the opo squash and cook for another 5-8 minutes or until the meatballs reach a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C) and just after the opo squash turns translucent.
1 large opo squash
Serve it hot and top each bowl with fresh cilantro, if using.
5 sprigs fresh cilantro
notes
opo squash substitute: you can use winter squash instead (peeled and cut similarly).meatball substitute: you can use frozen pork or beef meatballs to cut down on prep time for this recipe. These can be found in the frozen section of local Chinese, Taiwanese, or Vietnamese grocery stores.
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