Canh Cai Cay / Mustard Green Soup
This is another Vietnamese soup you won't typically find at any restaurant. Canh Cai Cay, or mustard green soup, is a comforting dish typically served at home as part of cơm gia đình, a traditional Vietnamese family meal. Soups like this are made to be shared alongside rice and other dishes, offering warmth, nutrients, and
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 30 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 4 quart Water
- 1 bundle Mustard Green
- 1/3 cup Dried Shrimp
- 1 tbsp Shallot, Minced
- 2 inch nub Ginger, Julienned
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 1/2 tbsp MSG
- 3 tbsp Fish Sauce
- 1 tbsp Oil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 lb Shrimp
- 1 Egg
- 2 tsp Cornstarch
- 1 tsp Fish Sauce
- 1/4 tsp White Pepper
- Ginger
- Black Pepper
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the Mustard Greens:
- 2
Trim off the tough ends of the mustard greens. Cut into 1-2 inch pieces, then soak them in water. Rinse two to three times to remove any dirt or debris. Drain and set aside
- 3
Make the Soup:
- 4
Start by soaking dried shrimp in a bowl and cover with room temperature water for 5-10 minutes until softened, then drain
- 5
Finely mince shallots and then peel and julienne ginger
- 6
In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the minced shallots and half the ginger, and sauté until fragrant. Add in rehydrated dried shrimp, and continue to cook for another minute to develop the shrimp's flavor
- 7
Pour in water, bring it up to a rolling boil, and skim off any impurities. Add the chopped mustard greens, and let this simmer covered for 5 minutes
- 8
Season soup with sugar, MSG, fish sauce, and salt to taste
- 9
Make the Shrimp Meatballs:
- 10
Pound or blend peeled shrimp into a smooth paste. You can use a mortar and pestle, a food processor, or just a knife
- 11
Combine shrimp paste with a whole egg, cornstarch, fish sauce, and white pepper. Then make sure you have plenty of oil on your hands to help prevent the shrimp from sticking, and roll the shrimp paste into uniform balls
- 12
Add the shrimp balls into the soup, and cook for another 2-4 minutes or until the shrimp balls float to the top
- 13
Serve:
- 14
Ladle soup into a bowl, and garnish with extra julienned ginger and fresh ground black pepper. You can serve it directly over rice or on the side as part of a comforting Vietnamese family meal. Enjoy!