Dear reader,
I moved again. The best part of it? A new place in a new neighborhood with promising explorations around (although this is really a bad time – the exploring will have to wait.) The worst part? Packing. Oh the perennial dilemma: Should I keep that rusty spoon that I use once every blue moon because it is so precious, or should I not? You know what, it looks like everything sparks joy to me, so I’m going to keep them all. Ms Kondo, I tried.
And then there’s unpacking. A responsible grown-up person can only spend so many nights sleeping on a san-bedsheet bed and living out of carton boxes (or suitcases) before realizing that it is never a wise thing to do. So yeah, this time I unpacked early.
When all of that was done, carton boxes out of sight and dining ware up in the cupboard, a home emerged. Sealing everything off was a celebratory meal: plain old steamed rice with mixed vegetable soup (canh súp), aka ABC soup to my Singaporean friends out there. And because I’m Vietnamese, there was also some sort of a vegetable stir-fry: snap peas with prawns.
The Soup
Since young, canh súp has been the epitome of nutrition in my family. Carrots, full of vitamins A and C, help improve your eyesight and immune system, among other benefits. Beets are good for your heart and could reduce blood pressure. And then there are potatoes, which aids the digestive system with their fibers.
Simmer the trio in a bone broth (chicken or pork) and you’ll have a sweet, mellow soup that could be a wholesome meal on its own. The carrot and beetroot lend their sweetness, and the starchy potato soaks up all the earthy flavors from its counterparts. Everything is dyed in a vibrant red.
Back when I was living alone in Singapore, I made several variations of this soup. While carrots were a constant presence, others changed, depending on whatever was available. Sturdy vegetables such as daikon or napa cabbage worked well (I added the cabbage later in the cooking process), and corn and mushroom were also good additions. For the protein, I alternated pork ribs, chicken thighs and meatballs (the Asian bouncy type). This was (and still is) the soup to make when I want a homecooked meal but don’t have any particular craving. One pot could feed me for two days, and the leftover broth could be used for macaroni (canh nuôi).
The Stir-Fry
Meanwhile, vegetable stir-fries (rau xào) are also a staple on a Vietnamese dining table. You can use almost every vegetable: morning glory, cabbage, spinach, okra, broccoli, cauliflower. Sauté some minced garlic in a few teaspoons of oil until fragrant, add in some protein if you happen to have any and quickly cook the meat/seafood before tossing in the vegetables. Depending on what you work with, some vegetables might take longer to cook than others (broccoli and cauliflower definitely need more time, so you can remove the meat/seafood from the pan and set it aside before adding it back when the vegetables are tender.) Adjust the seasoning with salt to taste or use other condiments such as soy sauce, oyster sauce and sambal olek. Add a splash of sesame oil and some freshly-ground black pepper at the end to bring up the fragrance.
My husband and I have this meal sitting on the floor at a low IKEA table next to spice jars and food cans still looking for a place in the cupboard. Proper china (I mean matching bowls and chopsticks, so yeah the bar is low) makes us feel so grown up and yet childlike. It feels like yesterday when we fished out the potato among the beet in our canh súp. Today, we dutifully eat our share of carrot, potato and beet, without parents watching. The company is different, but the fuzzy warmth you can only get from family stays the same.
Here’s another idea for a full meal I thought you might like: Bitter gourd soup and caramelized prawns!
Mixed Vegetable Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 3-4 chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on
- 2 potatoes cut into wedges
- 2 carrots cut into wedges
- 1 beet cut into wedges
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- Salt to taste
- 2 stalks cilantro to garnish
Instructions
- In a medium pot, cover the chicken thighs with water and blanch them until all the scum floats on top. Remove the chicken and rinse under cold water. Clean the pot.
- In the clean pot, cover the chicken thighs with water and simmer for 30 minutes before adding all the vegetables.
- Season the soup with fish sauce and salt. Let it simmer for another 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
- Garnish with ground black pepper and cilantro.
Snap pea stir-fry with prawn
Ingredients
- 2 tsp oil
- 200 g prawns shelled & deveined
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 425 g snap peas
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- In a frying pan, heat the oil on medium high heat and add the prawn. Cook for 3 minutes and stir in the garlic.
- When the garlic is fragrant, add mirin and continue to cook on high heat until you no longer smell alcohol.
- Add the snap peas, season with salt and pepper (or any other condiments of your choice.) Toss the peas around to coat the seasoning. Continue on high heat for 5 minutes.
- Add sesame oil and turn off the heat.
