Description
Simple, delicious, and comforting Vietnamese soup made with easy-to-find and affordable ingredients. It’s the perfect soup for cold winter days and for those who feel under the weather. This hearty and filling soup can be eaten on its own or enjoyed as a side dish with steamed rice.
Ingredients
Pork and Vegetables
- 1 lb pork spare ribs (cut in-between bones into individual riblets)
- 1 large carrot (6 oz)
- 1 large potato (8 oz)
- Half a head cauliflower (8 oz)
Soup
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 small shallot
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 1/2 quarts water
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon chicken or mushroom bouillon powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Garnishes
- 2 green onions
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper (sprinkle)
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Peel and mince the garlic and shallots. For the green onions, separate the white parts (to be used in the sauté) from the green parts (to be chopped into bite-size segments for garnish). Peel and cut carrot and potato into bite-size pieces. Break cauliflower into small florets.
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Sauté Aromatics: Heat vegetable oil in a medium-sized pot over high heat. Add the whites of the green onions, shallots, and garlic. Fry until fragrant, about 20 seconds.
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Cook the Pork Ribs: Add the pork ribs to the pot and toss to coat in the aromatics. Pour in water and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 30 minutes.
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Skim Impurities: skim off impurities that float to the top for a clearer soup, including the garlic and shallots (they have already released their flavors in the soup).
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Add the Vegetables: Add carrots, potatoes, and cauliflower to the pot. Simmer until the vegetables are tender when pierced with a chopstick (about 10-12 minutes).
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Season the Broth: Add fish sauce, salt, chicken bouillon powder, and black pepper. Adjust seasoning to taste.
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Serve: Garnish with green onion tops and a sprinkle of ground black pepper. Serve hot as a side dish or main course.
Notes
You can replace pork ribs with beef ribs or bone-in chicken thighs.
Time-Saving Tip: If you’d like to streamline your workflow, you can begin by setting out the aromatics and start the pork ribs simmering, then use the 30-minute simmer time to quickly cut the carrots and potatoes if they aren’t pre-prepped.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian, Vietnamese