Vietnamese Beef and Pickled Mustard Greens Soup (Canh Dưa Bò)
Vietnamese beef and pickled mustard greens soup (canh dưa bò) is a traditional soup from Northern Vietnam. This soup is in the daily rotation of many families due to its simple ingredients and easy preparation method.
Pickled mustard greens (known as dưa cải, dưa chua, or cải chua in Vietnamese) have a tangy, salty flavor with a slightly pungent aroma that some may consider an acquired taste. However, once cooked, the sharpness will mellow. If you like Vietnamese sour soups, you’ll likely find canh dưa bò delicious.
In addition, the sourness of the mustard greens perfectly complements the beef, cutting through its meatiness and creating a refreshing, light broth.
Traditionally, Viet cooks use beef cuts that have a lot of tendons, fat, and connective tissues, cut them into slightly thick pieces and simmer with the mustard greens. These parts will become tender when cooked with the pickled mustard greens. Beef shank is a good example of such a cut. Alternatively, I often use flank steak and the soup still turns out pretty good.
Ingredients:
- 6 oz flank steak or beef shank
- ½ tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- black pepper
- cooking oil
- 8 oz pickled mustard greens
- 1 tablespoon minced shallots
- 2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
- 3½ cups water
- fish sauce (to taste)
Prep Time:
10 minutes
Cook Time:
40 minutes
Total Time:
50 minutes
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