A traditional Vietnamese family meal usually comes with a vegetable soup dish. Not only is it a healthy side dish, but having soup to slurp helps with the digestion of the food in a multi-course meal.
One of the simplest traditional Vietnamese soups is mustard green soup or Canh Cai Be Xanh. There are many varieties of mustard greens. The ones used here was labeled Chinese Mustard Greens. If you can’t find this variety, frankly any mustard greens will do.
For the stock, you can use whatever protein you have on hand. Here I used pork spare ribs that I cut into bite-size pieces. You can also use chicken carcass if you process your own chickens. You can also use beef (thin slices of sirloin), ground pork and even shrimp. The recipe is pretty much the same for whatever protein you have on hand. However, if you use beef or shrimp, reduce the total cooking time to 15-20 minutes to prevent overcooking. Overcooked beef and shrimp are tough and leathery.
Serve this vegetable soup with steamed white rice and your favorite meat side dish for a complete traditional family meal. Enjoy!
Related Post: The Guide to Cooking Perfectly Steamed Rice: Asian Kid Edition
Popular Vietnamese Dishes to Complete the Meal
- Caramelized Pork Spare Ribs (Suon Ram Man)
- Caramelized Shrimp (Tom Rim)
- Braised & Caramelized Catfish (Ca Kho)
- Ginger Chicken (Ga Kho Gung)
- Caramelized and Braised Pork Belly with Eggs (Thit Kho Tau)
Vietnamese Mustard Green Soup with Pork Spare Ribs (Canh Cai Be Xanh Nau Suon Heo)
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 5 1x
Description
A traditional Vietnamese soup side dish with pork ribs and mustard greens. Pair with steamed rice for a complete meal.
Ingredients
Pork
- 3/4 lb pork spare ribs (cut into bite-size pieces)
- 2 teaspoons salt (half for cleaning)
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated white sugar
Stock Seasoning
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 2 garlic cloves (peel and mince)
- Half of small yellow onion
- 2 liters water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon MSG (optional)
Vegetables and Garnish
- 1 bunch Chinese mustard greens (Cai Be Xanh; cut into 2-inch segments)
- Dash ground black pepper
Instructions
- Parboil the Pork Ribs: Optional by highly recommended: Cleaning/parboiling the pork ribs will remove all the impurities and foul-smell of pork. Add bones and salt (1 teaspoon) to small stock pot and fill with water to cover. Bring the pot to a rolling boil on the stove (uncovered). Once it comes to a rolling boil and foam/impurities float to the top, immediately turn off heat. Place a colander in the sink and pour content of pot into the colander, discarding the dirty water. Rinse bones under cold running water and drain dry.
- Marinate the Ribs: To the parboiled bones, marinate with remaining salt (1 teaspoon), stock powder and sugar for at least 30 minutes.
- Sauté Aromatics: To a small stock pot, heat vegetable oil on medium high. Add garlic and onions. Saute until fragrant (10-20 seconds only). Add marinated pork spare ribs and quickly toss to coat in aromatics.
- Simmer the Soup: Add water and bring pot to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cook for 40 minutes. Occasionally skim off any foam that float to the top. Scoop out and discard yellow onion once it becomes translucent and limp.
- Season the Stock: Season stock with salt, stock powder, sugar and MSG.
- Add the Mustard Greens: Add Chinese mustard green and cook for additional 5 minutes. Turn off heat and transfer to a serving bowl. Top with a dash of black pepper for a beautiful finish.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 45
- Category: Soup, Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Vietnamese
Similar Recipes:
Vietnamese Pork Spare Rib Soup with Chayote (Canh Suon Nau Su Su)
Vietnamese Mustard Green Soup with Shrimp Balls (Canh Cai Be Xanh Nau Tom Bam)
Vietnamese Ground Pork & Chrysanthemum Greens Soup (Canh Tan O/Cai Cuc Nau Thit Bam)
Vietnamese Kabocha Pumpkin Soup with Ground Pork (Canh Bi Do Nau Thit Bam)