What is CanhCai Chua?
Canh Cai Chua is a Vietnamese pickled mustard green soup. When cooked in pork ribs, it is called Canh Cai Chua Suon.
This vegetable soup is similar to Vietnamese tamarind soup (Canh Chua), but with mild sourness and simpler ingredients. There is enough tang to keep things light and refreshing, making it a delicious soup and also serves as a palate cleanser.
What you need
To make this Vietnamese vegetable soup, collect the following ingredients:
Pickle Mustard Greens – known in Vietnamese as dưacảichua. These can be made in Asian supermarkets or at home. I also use a cup of salted water for extra sourness. Because that healthy gut fluid should never be wasted. Pork Ribs – Made with Costco St. Louis Pork Spear Ribs. Rib bones provide a great body in the soup. If you don’t eat pork, feel free to replace the beef ribs and bite-sized boned chicken thighs. Tomatoes – Uses a handful of concerto grape tomatoes that resemble cherry tomatoes. You can substitute large tomatoes and simply slice them into thick wedges. Tomatoes are held hand in hand with pickled mustard greens, but feel free to omit them if you like. Seasonings: fish sauce, chicken bouillon powder, salt, sugar, black pepper – a regular suspect in Vietnamese cuisine. Aromatic – Garlic and shallots. It can be replaced with the white part of other bulbs onions or green onions. Neutral Oil – A vegetable oil or other neutral oil to fry shallots and garlic to bring out the aroma and flavor. Optional Garnish – ground black pepper, thinly sliced coriander, or sprinkled green onion/cobblestone, finish with a refreshing touch. If spicy, add thinly sliced red chili peppers.
How to make it
Step 1: Prepare the pork rib bones
Separate the rib bones by cutting between the bones. If it’s still too large and too long, use a knife to chop it into bite-sized pieces. Scrub the rib bones with a little salt to clean them, then rinse thoroughly with water and drain. Please put it aside.
Step 2: Fry the pork rib bones
Add oil to a medium stock pot and heat to medium height. Add the pork rib bones and lightly season with some of the seasonings (the rest will be in the soup later), then cook for about 3 minutes or until the outside of the pork rib bones is lightly caramelized.
Step 3: Add aromatics
Add the chopped shallots and add the garlic to the pan. Cook until it is fragrant and lightly toasted for about 30 seconds.
Step 4: Add the tomato
Add the tomatoes and fry the pan fry for about 2 minutes to release the sweetness.
Step 5: Add pickle mustard greens and liquid
Add pickled mustard greens, water and salted water (liquid from the pickle jar). Bring everything to a boil. This takes about 7 minutes.
Once it boils, lower the heat and simmer gently for about 30 minutes or until the ribs are soft. Scoop out the foam on the surface to keep the soup clear.
Step 6: Season the stock
Add remaining salt, fish sauce, sugar and chicken bouillon powder. Taste and adjust as needed.
Step 7: Serve and decorate
Transfer the soup to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with freshly cracked black pepper and sliced green onions, chopped cilantro, and/or thinly sliced red pepper.
Warm steamed rice or other one protein side dish, like a complete Vietnamese family-style meal.
Storage and reheat
Store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Gently reheat on the stove until it is heated generously to prevent the pickle green from working.
Protip
Don’t skip the saute step: Lightly covering ribs, garlic, shallots and tomatoes add more dimensions and sweetness to the soup. For a crisper soup, you can blanch the pork ribs in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, rinse them well, skip the saute and add everything directly to the pot. Both methods work. It depends on your taste in flavor and the transparency of the soup. Scoop out the soup: Remove any foam when simmering using a spoon, keeping the soup clear and clean. Adjust the acidity: If dưachua is very sour, rinse temporarily under cold water or reduce the amount of acid-sucking liquid you add to the pot.
Finish the meal
For a complete meal, this soup should be served with pure steamed rice and a salty protein dish, and a salty protein dish.
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explanation
Did the pickled mustard greens get too sour? Turn this light, tangy Vietnamese pork rib soup that’s perfect for rice.
Prepare pork ribs: Separate the ribs by cutting between the bones. If they are too large, use a flesh cleft to chop into bite-sized pieces. To clean the surface, rub the ribs with additional salt (about 1 teaspoon), rinse thoroughly with water and drain well. Please put it aside. Fry pork rib bones: Add oil to a medium pot and cook to medium height. Add the pork rib bones and lightly season with some of the seasonings (the rest will be in the soup later), then cook for about 3 minutes or until the outside of the pork rib bones is lightly caramelized. Aromatic: Add chopped shallots and add garlic to the pan. Stir and cook until fragrant for about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and fry the pan fry for about 2 minutes. Add pickled mustard greens, water and salted water. Bring everything to a boil. This takes about 7 minutes. Once it boils, lower the heat and simmer gently for about 30 minutes or until the ribs are soft. Scoop out the foam on the surface to keep the soup clear. Season with remaining salt, fish sauce, sugar and chicken bouillon powder. Adjust it to your liking if necessary. Finish: Transfer the soup to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with cracked black pepper, green onions, coriander, and/or red chili peppers. Warm one dish on the side of the steamed rice and other protein, like a complete Vietnamese family style meal.
Preparation time: 5 minutesCooking time: 35 minutescategory: Side dishmethod: Stove topcooking: Asian and Vietnamese people
(TagStoTRASSLATE)CANH(T)PACKLED(T)porkspair rib
