What is Pork Ribs & Opo Pumpkin Soup
One of the classic homemade Vietnamese soups is Pork Rib Soup with Opo Squash (Canh Sườn Nấu Bầu). It consists of short pieces of pork ribs for protein and thinly sliced opo squash for vegetables. Like all Vietnamese soups in traditional home cooking, it is garnished with thinly sliced scallions and coriander for a hint of green and freshly ground black pepper for a wonderful finishing flavor.
Pork Ribs (Sườn Heo)
In Vietnam, pork is a staple ingredient in Vietnamese cuisine. Pork ribs are among the more luxurious cuts. They can be stewed, grilled and used in soups. In soups, the pork ribs are cooked into a hearty pork bone broth.
Opo Squash (Bầu)
Opo gourd, also known as bottle gourd, gourd, cucuzzi or Bu 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. Opo squash can grow very large if allowed, but is best to harvest when it’s about 6 inches long and the flesh is still tender. Opo squash is most popular in Vietnamese soups and stir-fries. The flavor is pretty bland, but it absorbs flavors well and is an easy vegetable for kids.
Typical Vietnamese spices
To flavor the soup there is a blend of classic Vietnamese home cooking spices commonly used in a traditional Vietnamese household. These pantry items are why our moms and grandmothers’ food tastes so good. This contains:
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Chicken or Mushroom Bouillon Powder (hạt nêm/bột nêm) – Provides the key umami flavor that gives our protein that boost. These bouillon powders may contain 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 or mushroom flavor, you can just use MSG alone or a combination of bouillon powder and MSG.
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Fish Sauce (Nước Mắm) – Offers more umami flavor but this time made from fermented fish. Trust me, that sounds worse than it is. If you don’t want to use fish sauce, you can just use salt alone or use a combination of fish sauce and salt.
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Sugar (đường) – A little is always needed for balance. It can be omitted or reduced if the cooked vegetables can add some sweetness to the soup.
These ingredients enhance the soup broth, creating a rich and satisfying flavor that together creates perfect harmony.
If you don’t like or use MSG and chicken/mushroom broth powder in your kitchen, that’s fine too. You can omit them and add salt to the soup to taste, which will make the taste a bit bland. It won’t be quite the same if you’re used to Vietnamese home cooking, but it can still be delicious. recipe below. Have fun cooking.