what will you need
There are many varieties of Vietnamese soups. For this recipe we are making chicken soup with baby spinach. What you need for this soup:
Chicken — I like to buy whole chickens and save the backbone for Vietnamese soups. You can also use any bone-in chicken pieces. Cut it into smaller pieces (about 1-1/2 inches). Bone-in chicken pieces make a great broth. Plus, you can also enjoy the small amount of tender meat around the bones.
Alternatively, use store-bought chicken broth for a quicker but meatless version.
baby spinach — The Vietnamese version of spinach is Malabar spinach, or Rau Mồng Tơi, which can be hard to find. For this recipe we use baby American spinach, which you can get anywhere. I like to use spinach that is already packaged and usually labeled ready to eat. But I don’t believe in the ready-to-eat portion as I rinse it again at home. You can never be too careful. If you get them outside of the lettuce bag, you’ll need to rinse them a few times as spinach accumulates a lot of dirt.
aromatics — Garlic and shallots. Fry them first in some vegetable oil to bring out their aroma.
Spices — All Vietnamese soups use the same basic spices. Salt, some sugar for balance, fish sauce, and bouillon powder (either chicken or mushroom in the States). Add a little of each and adjust to your liking. Chicken bouillon powder contains MSG. If you don’t like that, just omit the recipe below.
Ground black pepper — There is no green side dish in this particular soup because the spinach is already green. Only a pinch of freshly ground black pepper is needed at the end for a final aroma.
How to make Vietnamese soup
Step 1: Make the broth
In a medium saucepan, add oil, shallots, and garlic. Pan fry until fragrant. Add chicken and toss the chicken into the flavors. Add water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the chicken is done.
Step 2: Add the vegetables
Add the spinach to the saucepan and cook for 1 minute or until wilted.
Step 3: Season the broth
Make the broth a flavorful broth by adding salt, sugar, fish sauce, and bouillon powder. Finish the broth with a sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper for a wonderful aroma. Serve immediately along with other Vietnamese side dishes for a full meal.