Old Cucumber Soup (老黄瓜汤)

I have always like this boiled soup, it is not only cooling for these hot days but is also good for our skin. I read somewhere that it helps to prevent aging!

Ingredients:

1 medium size Chinese old cucumber
1.5 litres of water
10 red dates
8 dried scallops
250g pork ribs
1 piece dried cuttlefish
dash of salt

1. Scrub the skin of the old cucumber clean and cut it in half, length-wise. Scoop out the seeds using a spoon. Cut into small pieces.

2. In a small pot, blanch the pork ribs in boiling water for about 5 minutes.Drain and set aside.

3. Add all the ingredients in a pot and boil for about 10 minutes. Then simmer the soup over low heat for about 30 minutes. I continue to boil it for up to 2 hours as I like the soup to be thick and rich. Season with salt if desire.

Other dishes for this evening dinner.