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! 

You can make this soup with or without minced pork. This recipe is for the pork version. For the vegan version with straw mushrooms, see: Canh hẹ đậu phụ chay.

INGREDIENTS FOR CANH HẸ ĐẬU PHỤ

• Garlic chives – Hẹ: a member of the allium family- as the name suggests, garlic chives have a strong garlicky flavor unlike ‘regular’ chives, which taste more onion-like. You may find both the standard flat leafy variety (like the one we used in this recipe) and the flowering variety at your local Asian grocery store. The standard variety has a stronger flavor profile, but either will work for this recipe.
• Tofu – Đậu phụ/Đậu hũ: soft tofu (đậu hũ non) is the best type for this soup. It is delicate and has a much smoother mouthfeel than firm tofu, yet can be handled, cut, and will retain its shape unlike silken tofu.
• Minced pork – Thịt heo xay/bằm: choose a lean minced pork if you can. This soup is delicate and light, we don’t want a lot of fat in it.
• Shallot – Hành khô/Hành tím
• Fish sauce – Nước mắm: arguably the most important seasoning sauce in Vietnamese cuisine. Made from fermented anchovies, it is salty and incredibly umami. Non-vegan Vietnamese recipes without fish sauce are very rare. The best nước mắm comes from Phú Quốc or surrounding islands off the coast- Southwest of mainland Vietnam. Our favorite brand available outside of Vietnam is Red Boat (U.S.).
• Bouillon – Hạt nêm: think broth, but in solid form. Bouillon is an amazingly easy way to bring that umami flavor to your food. We use it instead of salt in many of our dishes. You can usually find chicken, pork, or mushroom bouillon. In Vietnam, Knorr is the most common brand. However, we have only been able to find Knorr in powder form in the US and France, not granules. Instead, we use Totole brand chicken or mushroom bouillon. The quantities on our website are based on the granule-type so if you use powder, adjust to your taste.
• Ground black pepper – Tiêu đen xay
• Vegetable oil – Dầu thực vật

DIRECTIONS FOR CANH HẸ ĐẬU PHỤ

1. Mince shallot.
2. In a bowl, combine the minced pork, minced shallot, fish sauce, and ground black pepper. Mix well and let sit to marinate while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
3. Cut off tough root ends of chives and cut into 3-5cm lengths.
4. Strain tofu if needed and gently cut into 2-3cm cubes.
5. In a pot, heat vegetable oil on medium.
6. Add the seasoned minced pork and sauté, breaking up the chunks into small crumbles.
7. When most of the pork is no longer pink, add water and bring to boil on medium high.
8. Skim any impurities that rise to the surface.
9. Once the water is boiling, carefully add in the tofu.
10. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 5 minutes.
11. Add chives, reduce heat to low, and use a ladle to press down on the chives to ensure all of them come in contact with the broth.
12. Simmer for 2-3 minutes.
13. Season to taste with bouillon & fish sauce and remove from heat.

RECIPE VIDEO

Canh hẹ đậu phụ thịt bằm • Vietnamese chive and tofu soup with minced pork

Course: Soups, SidesCuisine: VietnameseDifficulty: Easy

Makes

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Total time

25

minutes

A simple and light, yet flavorful soup thanks to the unique flavors of garlic chives, tender texture of soft tofu, and the umami from the pork.

Ingredients

• Pork

• 150 g 150 minced pork

• 10 g 10 shallot

• 1 tsp 1 bouillon

• 1 tsp 1 fish sauce

• 1/4 tsp 1/4 ground black pepper

• Other ingredients

• 400 g 400 garlic chives (standard or flowering)

• 400 g 400 soft tofu (NOT silken tofu)

• 1 tbsp 1 vegetable oil

• 1.5 liter 1.5 water

• 1 tbsp 1 bouillon

• Fish sauce (to taste)

Directions

• Mince shallot.
• In a bowl, combine the minced shallot and other ingredients in the Pork section and mix well. Let sit to marinate while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
• Cut off tough root ends of chives and cut into 3-5cm lengths.
• Strain tofu if needed and gently cut into 2-3cm cubes.
• In a pot, heat vegetable oil on medium.
• Add the seasoned minced pork and sauté, breaking up the chunks into small crumbles.
• When most of the pork is no longer pink, add water and bring to boil on medium high.
• Skim any impurities that rise to the surface.
• Once the water is boiling, carefully add in the tofu.
• Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Add chives, reduce heat to low, and use a ladle to press down on the chives to ensure all of them come in contact with the broth.
• Simmer for 2-3 minutes.
• Season to taste with bouillon & fish sauce and remove from heat.

Recipe Video

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