Sour Spinach Soup (canh chua rau muong)

Canh chua rau muong is sour spinach soup, but I think it should be called sweet and sour spinach soup! Sour soup doesn’t sound as appetizing, and it is actually perfectly balanced with sweetness.

It’s a simple soup with water spinach that is sweet just as much as it is sour. And in Vietnamese cuisine, soup (canh) is served with Jasmine rice.

My uncle-in-law has a brother who grows water spinach, so he used to bring over this soup, and I would get so excited!! Now he just brings over the spinach, and I make my own.

Sour Spinach Soup (canh chua rau muong)

Author: Phuong Le-Tran Cuisine:Vietnamese Courses:Soups

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 15 minutesCook time: 20 minutesServings:8 servings

Description

It’s a simple soup with water spinach that is sweet just as much as it is sour.

Ingredients

• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 tablespoons dried shrimp, soaked (sub fresh shrimp)
• 2 roma tomatoes, wedges
• 11 cups water
• 1 package Knorr tamarind soup mix (1.4 oz)
• 1/2 cup fish sauce
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon granulated mushroom bouillon
• 2 pounds water spinach, chopped into thirds

Instructions

1. Soak dried shrimp in warm water for 10-15 minutes. If using fresh shrimp, you can add them with the spinach at the end.
2. Heat a stockpot on medium heat for 1 minute. Add oil and garlic. Sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add shrimp and tomato wedges and cook for a couple of minutes until tomatoes soften and release their juice.
3. Add water and turn the temperature to high. Add all the seasonings: fish sauce, sugar, tamarind packet, and mushroom bouillon.
4. Once the water boils, add all of the spinach and push to submerge it under the water.
5. Bring it to a boil. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Serve with rice.

Video

Keywords:sour spinach soup, canh chua rau muong