Mai

A bowl of “canh” – soup (often vegetable-heavy) is a necessity for a traditional Vietnamese dinner. We eat bits of the soup in between other dishes at the table and particularly at the end when we pour the broth over the last bit of rice in our bowls.

While we have some types of canh that are heavily seasoned and full of flavors, the majority of canh made from greens (especially in the North) are simple and light- meant to balance out other flavorful dishes in the meal.

We use the word “thanh” to describe dishes cooked this way: minimal seasoning and fats, light, and healthy- letting the ingredients shine on their own.

This chive and tofu soup is a classic. It is delicious and flavorful thanks to the natural flavors of the chives, yet incredibly easy and quick to make. When I’m lazy or have had a lot of heavy fried foods previously, I would happily eat just a bowl of this soup with some fresh jasmine rice. It’s a great side soup for your dinners or even as a quick lunch! 

There are different variations of this soup: with and without minced pork and mushrooms. This is a super simple, no frill, vegan version that can be made for your work-from-home lunches with time to spare! For the version with minced pork, see: Canh hẹ đậu phụ thịt bằm.

Canh hẹ đậu phụ nấm chay • Vietnamese vegan chive & tofu soup with mushroom

Course: Sides, SoupsCuisine: VietnameseDifficulty: Easy

Makes

4

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Total time

15

minutes

Ingredients

• 400 g 400 garlic chives (standard or flowering)

• 400 g 400 soft tofu

• 400 g 400 canned straw mushrooms (strained)

• 1.5 liter 1.5 water or vegetable broth

• 1 tbsp 1 bouillon powder (+ more to taste)

• Vegan fish sauce or soup soy sauce (to taste)

Directions

• Rinse chives and chop into 3-5cm lengths.
• Gently cut tofu into 2-3cm cubes.
• Add water/broth & bouillon powder or stock to a pot.
• Bring to boil on medium high.
• Add mushrooms and tofu, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Add in the chives, reduce heat to low, and use a ladle to ensure all of it comes in contact with the broth.
• Simmer for 2 minutes.
• Season to taste with more bouillon powder and vegan fish sauce/soup soy sauce and remove from heat.

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