Vietnamese Sweet & Sour Tamarind Fish Soup with Elephant Ear Taro (Canh Chua Ca Nau Bac Ha)
vickypham.com
A classic Vietnamese home cooking dish of sweet and sour fish soup and elephant ear taro. Pair with other side dishes and steamed rice for a traditional Vietnamese family-style meal.
- 1 lb fish steaks (salmon, bass, catfish or milk fish preferred; wash with a bit of salt and drain dry)
- 1 quart water
- 2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 large cloves garlic (peel and mince)
- 12 grams seedless tamarind pulp
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon chicken or mushroom stock powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 lb elephant ear taro stalk (remove fibrous outside membrane and slice thin)
- 2 to 3 large tomatoes (cut into wedges) or a handful of whole cherry tomatoes
- A handful of chopped cilantro, Thai Basil or Rice Paddy Herbs (optional for garnish)
- Thai chili peppers (optional; slice thin)
See Full Recipe
Eggplant with Shrimp and Garlic Sauce (Ca Tim Xao Tom)
vickypham.com
A quick stir-fry of eggplant and shrimp in a sweet, savory garlic sauce. Serve with rice for a simple, balanced meal.
- 1 lb shrimp (peel and devein)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon tapioca starch dissolve with 1 tablespoon cold water
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 garlic cloves (peel and mince)
- 2 green onions (slice thin; separate whites and greens)
- Red pepper flakes (optional for heat)
- 2 lbs Chinese eggplants (2 large Chinese eggplants; cut into 1-inch half-circles)
- 1 cup water
See Full Recipe
Vietnamese Sweet & Sour Catfish Soup with Celery (Canh Chua Cá Bông Lau Nấu Cần Tây)
vickypham.com
A popular variation of a Vietnamese sweet and sour soup with celery. Enjoy with steamed rice and other side dishes for a complete meal.
- 1 lb catfish (I typically use a whole catfish head and 1-2 catfish steaks)
- 1 3/4 quarts water
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 oz tamarind pulp (dissolve in 1/3 cup hot water, strain and discard pulp)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 lb tomatoes (quarter)
- 1 lb celery (remove outside fibers and slice thinly at a diagonal)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 6 garlic cloves (mince)
- 1 cup Thai basil leaves
- 2 Thai chili pepper (optional; slice thin)
See Full Recipe
Vietnamese Malabar Spinach & Ground Beef Soup (Canh Mồng Tơi Nấu Thịt Bò Bằm)
vickypham.com
A warm and comforting side soup of malabar spinach and beef. Serve with steamed rice for a complete meal.
- 10 oz ground beef
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon chicken or mushroom bouillon powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 cloves garlic (mince)
- 1 3/4 quarts water
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon chicken or mushroom bouillon powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 lbs malabar spinach (remove woody stems if any and cut into bite-size pieces)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
See Full Recipe
Vietnamese Pork Meatballs Soup with Winter Melon (Canh Mọc Nấu Bí Đao)
vickypham.com
A quick pork meatball soup with winter melon (bi dao), a gourd that adds cucumber-like texture and sweetness. Enjoy this comforting side dish with steamed rice, perfect for cold winter days.
- 1 lb fatty ground pork (chill in freezer until semi-frozen such that you can break apart into big chunks by hand)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves (peel; leave whole)
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons tapioca starch
- 4 tablespoons cold water
- 1 teaspoon Alsa baking powder
- Food processor
- 2 quarts water
- 1 lb winter melon (peel, remove core if not tender and cut into chunks or slice thin)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4 green onions/scallions (remove end; cut into 2-inch segments)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
See Full Recipe
Vietnamese Luffa Gourd Soup with Ground Pork (Canh Mướp Thịt Băm)
vickypham.com
Try this quick and satisfying Vietnamese soup made with ground pork and young luffa gourd. This simple, comforting dish cooks quickly and pairs perfectly with steamed rice.
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 shallot (peel and mince)
- 2 garlic cloves (peel and mince)
- 8 oz ground pork
- 1 1/2 quarts water or stock
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon chicken or vegetable bouillon stock powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 large luffa (about 2 lbs; peel and slice into small chunks)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 green onions (slice thin)
See Full Recipe
Vietnamese Sweet & Sour Tamarind Soup with Salmon (Canh Chua Cá Hồi)
vickypham.com
A quick and easy Vietnamese sweet and sour soup with salmon, taro stems, enoki mushrooms, and tomatoes in a tamarind broth. Topped with crispy garlic and Thai basil, it’s ready in under 30 minutes.
- 12 oz salmon fillet
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 5 cups water or unsalted vegetable/chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon tamarind powder
- 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon powder
- 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 10 oz tomatoes (cut into halves or quarters)
- 7 oz Indian taro stems (remove outer fiber and slice thin at a diagonal)
- 5 oz enoki mushroom (remove stems and break apart into small pieces) or bean sprouts
- 1 cup Thai Basil leaves (slice thinly)
- Chili peppers (slice thinly)
See Full Recipe
Vietnamese Kabocha Pumpkin Soup with Minced Shrimp (Canh Bi Do Nau Tom Bam)
vickypham.com
A simple Vietnamese kabocha squash soup with minced shrimp, perfect for fall and winter. Serve with steamed rice for a complete meal.
- 10 large shrimp (size 21-25; peel, devein; finely mince into paste)
- 3 green onions/scallions (thinly slice; separate whites/greens)
- 4 large cloves garlic (peel, mince, finely dice; divided)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder or mushroom seasoning powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 1 1/2 lbs kabocha squash cut into 1-inch cubes (about one small whole kabocha squash)
- 1 1/2 quarts water or unsalted vegetable/bone stock
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder or mushroom seasoning powder
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
See Full Recipe
Vietnamese Sweet Potato / Yam Leaves Soup with Dried Shrimp (Canh Rau Khoai Lang Nấu Tôm Khô)
vickypham.com
Here is a quick soup recipe with yam leaves and dried salted shrimp for a traditional Vietnamese home-cooked family-style meal.
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 garlic cloves (peel and mince)
- 1/2 cup dried salted shrimp (soften with hot water for 15 minutes; rinse and drain)
- 1 liter water
- 8 oz sweet potato leaves/tender stems
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon MSG (optional)
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
See Full Recipe
Vietnamese Cabbage and Shrimp Soup (Canh Bap Cai Nau Tom)
vickypham.com
A light and savory soup with cabbage, carrots, and whole shrimp as my protein of choice. The soup comes together in 20 minutes, making it perfect for a busy weeknight dinner. Eat with another protein side dish for a complete meal with steamed rice.
- 12 medium-size shrimp (size 21/25)
- 1 tablespoon sea salt (divided)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (divided)
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder (divided)
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce (divided)
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper (divided)
- ¼ cup tapioca starch
- 1 small cabbage
- 1 medium carrot
- 3 green onions
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1¾ quarts water
See Full Recipe