Vietnamese Pork Spare Rib Soup with Opo Squash (Canh Suon Nau Bau)
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Vietnamese Pork Spare Rib Soup with Opo Squash (Canh Suon Nau Bau)
Nothing reminds me more of home than a warm bowl of soup. No, I’m not talking about famous noodle soups like Phở that everyone knows about. I’m talking about the kind of soups that you won’t find in typical Vietnamese restaurants in the States. These soups can only be found at home, made by mom or dad, or in restaurants specializing in Vietnamese home cooking, known as Cơm Bình Dân. They are eaten alongside steamed white rice along with other side dishes.
Related Post: The Guide to Cooking Perfectly Steamed Rice: Asian Kid Edition
Vietnamese Pork Spare Rib Soup with Opo Squash (Canh Suon Nau Bau)
What is Pork Spare Rib & Opo Squash Soup
One of the classic Vietnamese home-cooked soups is pork spare rib soup with opo squash (Canh Sườn Nấu Bầu). It is made with short pieces of pork ribs for the protein and thinly sliced opo squash for the vegetable. Like all Vietnamese soups in traditional home cooking, it’s garnished with thinly sliced green onions and cilantro for a pop of green and freshly ground black pepper for a wonderful finishing aroma.
Pork Ribs (Sườn Heo)
In Vietnam, pork is a staple ingredient. Pork ribs are one of the more luxury cuts. They can be braised, grilled, and used in soups. In soups, the pork ribs are boiled to make a hearty pork bone broth.
Opo Squash (Bầu)
Opo squash is also known as bottle gourd, calabash gourd, cucuzzi, or Bầu in Vietnamese. You can find it in many Asian supermarkets all year round. It is physically similar to a large zucchini but has light green skin instead. Opo squash grows very big on the vines if allowed, so it’s best to harvest when they reach about 6 inches long. This ensures that the flesh is still tender.
In Vietnamese cuisine, opo squash is most popular in soups and stir-fries. The flavor is quite bland but it absorbs flavors nicely and is an easy vegetable for kids to eat.
Pork Spare Rib Soup with Opo Squash (Canh Sườn Nấu Bầu)
Typical Vietnamese Seasonings
To flavor the soup, there is a medley of seasonings that are commonly used in traditional Vietnamese home cooking. These pantry items are the reason our mothers’ and grandmothers’ food taste so good. These ingredients enhance the soup broth that together provides many depths of flavor to create that perfect harmony:
Fish sauce (Nước Mắm) — Provides that strong umami flavor that gives the dish a boost. This sounds way worst than it is. This is not a seasoning for fish nor does it smell fishy. It does, however, has a pungent smell straight from the bottle. Fish sauce is used in most Vietnamese recipes as the main seasoning ingredient. If you don’t want to use fish sauce, you can simply use salt solely or use a combination of fish sauce and salt. But to leave it out, you will miss out on what makes Vietnamese and other Southeast Asian cuisines so unique.
Chicken or mushroom bouillon powder (hạt nêm/bột nêm) — Provides another layer of umami boost. These bouillon powders typically include a little bit of MSG (monosodium glutamate or Bột Ngọt in Vietnamese). If you don’t want to use bouillon powder or don’t like that hint of chicken our mushroom flavor which is probably unnoticeable if I hadn’t mentioned it, you can simply use MSG. Traditional Vietnamese households tend to use a combination of bouillon powder and MSG.
Sugar (đường) — A little is always needed for balance. It can be omitted or reduced if the cooked vegetables already impart a bit of sweetness.
If you don’t like or use MSG and chicken/mushroom bouillon powder in your cooking, it’s ok too. You can omit them and season the soup to taste with salt, which will be a bit boring in flavor. It won’t be the same, especially if you are used to Vietnamese home cooking.
Other Soups You May Enjoy
Pork Spare Rib Soup with Potatoes, Carrots and Cauliflower
Chicken Soup with Baby Spinach
Pig Feet Soup with Potatoes and Carrots
Pompano Fish and Sour Bamboo Soup
Popular Pork Rib Dishes to Complete the Meal
Braised Pork Belly and Eggs
Caramelized Pork Spare Ribs
Easy Chinese-Style Soy Sauce Braised Pork Ribs
Lazy Pan-Fried Lemongrass Pork Ribs
Vietnamese Pork Spare Rib Soup with Opo Squash (Canh Sườn Nấu Bầu)
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a medium pot, add oil and heat on high. Add shallots and garlic. Fry until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
- Add pork ribs and toss in the aromatics. Pan fry for 2 minutes or until nicely caramelized on the outside. Add half of the seasonings directly onto the pork ribs: chicken bouillon powder, salt, fish sauce, and sugar. Toss to coat.
- Add water. Bring the pot to a low simmer and cook for 30 minutes or until pork ribs are chopstick tender. Skim off the impurities at the top. You can also remove the aromatics as they already served their purpose.
- Add squash. Cook for an additional 2 minutes or until squash is tender. Add remaining seasonings to taste. Garnish with cilantro and ground black pepper.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
356Fat
24 gSat. Fat
7 gCarbs
20 gFiber
3 gNet carbs
17 gSugar
5 gProtein
16 gSodium
1220 mgCholesterol
73 mgThe values provided should be considered estimates. Factors such as brands purchased, natural variations in fresh ingredients, etc. will change the nutritional information in any recipe. To obtain accurate nutritional information for a recipe, use your preferred nutrition calculator to determine nutritional information with the actual ingredients and quantities used.
