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.
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 Bouillon 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.
How to Make Canh Be Xanh Tom
Step 1: Sauté aromatics
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 sauté until fragrant, about 10 seconds.
Step 2: Add water and shrimp
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.
Step 3: Add mustard greens and season
Add in mustard greens. Season stock 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.
Step 4: Serve
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.
Popular Vietnamese Dishes to Complete the Meal
Vietnamese Mustard Green Soup with Shrimp Balls (Canh Cai Be Xanh Nau Tom Bam)
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
An easy and comforting Vietnamese soup side dish of ground shrimp and mustard greens. Cooks up in about 5 minutes. Serve with steamed rice and a protein side dish for a complete meal.
Ingredients
Shrimp
- 10 oz large shrimp (size 21-25; about 10)
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- 2 teaspoons tapioca starch
Soup
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 1/2 quarts water
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- 10 oz Chinese mustard greens (cut into bite-size pieces)
- Ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare shrimp: Mince shrimp into a paste with a mortar and pestle, large meat cleaver, or food processor. Add salt, sugar, bouillon powder, ground black pepper, and tapioca starch. Mix until combined and set aside. Alternatively, if you are feeling lazy, leave shrimp whole, season and leave out tapioca starch.
- Make soup: In a medium stock pot, heat oil on medium-high. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant (a few seconds). Add water slowly to the stock pot. When the pot comes to a boil, scoop shrimp paste into small balls using two spoons then drop it into the hot water. Cook for 3 minutes on a medium-low simmer. Balls will float when they are cooked all the way through.
- Finish: Add mustard green. Cook for 2 minutes. Season soup to taste with salt, fish sauce, sugar, and chicken bouillon powder. Garnish with a sprinkle of ground black pepper and serve.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: side dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: asian, vietnamese
