Description
Simple ingredients, quick to cook, and easy to eat, this soup is the perfect comfort food for a busy weeknight. This childhood favorite is ready in 15 minutes. Serve it with steamed white rice for a complete meal.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Soup
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 small shallot (minced)
- 1 green onion (thinly sliced white part and cut green part into 1-inch segments)
- 1 large garlic (minced)
- 1 1/2 quarts water
- 1 1/2 lbs opo squash (peel, cut into matchsticks)
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper (sprinkle)
Shrimp
- 10 oz shrimp (any size shrimp; peeled and deveined)
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper (sprinkle)
Instructions
- Toast aromatics: In a medium stockpot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add shallot, white parts of green onions, and garlic. Sauté until fragrant (about 20 seconds). Add water slowly to the stockpot.
- Prepare shrimp: While waiting for the water to come to a boil, prepare the shrimp. Mince shrimp into a paste with a mortar and pestle, large meat cleaver, or food processor. Season with salt and ground black pepper.
- Add shrimp: When the pot comes to a boil, scoop the shrimp paste into small balls using two spoons and drop them into the hot water.
- Add squash: Immediately add opo squash so that both squash and shrimp cook up at the same time (about 5 minutes).
- Season to taste: Add chicken bouillon powder, fish sauce, and salt.
- Finish: Garnish with a sprinkle of ground black pepper and the remaining green onions.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: side dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: asian, vietnamese