Vietnamese Mustard Green Soup with Shrimp Balls (Canh Cai Be Xanh Nau Tom Bam)

This post contains affiliate links which we are compensated for if a purchase is made. Using links costs you nothing and helps to support the ongoing creation of content.

When we think of Vietnamese soups, we think of Phở Bò or Phở Gà or other famous Vietnamese noodle soups. But have you heard of canh? These don’t include noodles and they are not an entree like phở.

What is Vietnamese Canh?

Canh is a Vietnamese soup side dish to eat alongside steamed rice. It contains a lot of vegetables and a little protein. Phở and other noodles soups are reserved for the weekends and restaurants, but canh is on the dinner table almost every night.

Traditional Vietnamese home-cooked meals include at least three items: soup (canh), a meat dish, and rice. In my family, we start by filling our individual rice bowls with the main protein dish. Towards the end, when the rice bowl is almost empty, I’ll pour in the soup to enjoy the last of the rice and to cleanse the palate.

For this particular recipe, I’m making a canh with shrimp balls and Chinese mustard green.

Prepping shrimp for Vietnamese Mustard Green Soup with Shrimp Balls (Canh Cai Be Xanh Nau Tom Bam) — Prep the shrimp by pounding it with a mortar and pestle. This will produce a bouncy texture.

Shrimp paste for Vietnamese soup — Shrimp paste is now ready.

What You Will Need

Chinese Mustard Green — Also known as cải bẹ xanh in Vietnamese. No need for an Asian grocery store. You can easily find these in just about any grocery store here in California. Chinese mustard green has a slightly bitter undertone that gets subdued in hot broth. My kids, who are picky little eaters, have no problem with this vegetable.

If you can’t find Chinese Mustard Green, you can substitute with turnip greens or spinach instead.

Shrimp — Use peeled and deveined shrimp to save time. Smash the shrimp into a fine paste. I like to use a mortar and pestle. This creates the perfect springy bouncy texture. You can also put the shrimp in a zip loc bag and smash it with something heavy like a rolling pin. You can alternatively blend it in a food processor. Chopping in a food processor doesn’t create much of a springy, bouncy texture, but it’s a lot quicker.

If you are feeling super lazy, skip the smashing and leave them whole.

Shrimp cooks up really fast so avoid overcooking which will result in a rubbery texture. I like to add them at about the same time as the mustard greens.

Tapioca starch — A little starch will bind the shrimp balls together. Tapioca starch also makes a velvety smooth texture. Exclude if you are simply adding whole shrimp.

Fish Sauce — The main flavoring agent of Southeast Asia.

Salt — A bit of salt because too much of a good thing (fish sauce) can result in a fishy smell.

Sugar — A little is needed to balance out the salt and fish sauce.

Chicken or Mushroom Bouillion Powder — The ultimate Vietnamese home cooking cheat and why our mothers’ soups taste so good. Yes, it contains a bit of MSG. Yes, you can omit and replace it with a bit of salt.

Ground Black Pepper — The finishing touch for that peppery aroma.

Garlic — Our main aromatic here but you can substitute with sliced shallots, white of green onions, any onion bulb, or ginger.

Neutral Oil — Just a bit to get the aroma of the garlic going. I’m using vegetable oil.

Chinese Mustard Greens Cải Bẹ Xanh Shrimp Paste for Soup — Chinese Mustard Greens/Cải Bẹ Xanh and Shrimp Paste

How to Make It

Heat oil in a medium-sized pot. Because we are “frying” in a pot, which is considered abysmal to some, make sure to use a pot with thick sides to prevent burning.

Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 10 seconds.

Pour in water and bring the pot to a boil. If you have unsalted broth, use it here instead of water for a richer taste.

Use two spoons to shape the shrimp paste into small balls. Drop the balls into the hot water, one by one. It will slide off the spoon once it hits the hot water. Shrimp balls are fully cooked when they float.

Add mustard greens.

Season stock to taste with salt, fish sauce, a bit of sugar, and chicken/mushroom bouillon powder. Crank up the heat to bring the pot to a boil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes to get the flavors to meld.

Transfer soup to a large bowl. Garnish with freshly cracked black pepper and serve with steamed rice and one other main protein dish below for a complete Vietnamese family meal.