"Canh Muop Bun Tau Thit Bam" Recipe

I love Vietnamese canh (aka soup) because they are true comfort soups for me. This simple soup made with soft and sweet luffa and is cooked in a light shrimp broth. Typically ground pork is used or pork ribs are used (aka “Canh Muop Bun Tau Thit Bam”) but I kept it this dish pescatarian because this is how my mom used to make this.

Growing up my parents would always make a simple canh for dinner, a meat or fish protein dish, a vegetable dish & a pot of hot jasmine rice.

Some other families might use garlic or shallots for the broth but my parents never did.

INGREDIENTS
2 medium luffa (peeled and cut into medium quarter wedges)

3 cups water
8-10 frozen medium sized shrimp (frozen cocktail shrimp or raw shrimp, de-vein and remove tails)
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 tsp sugar
1 bunch of bean thread / glass noodles (soak in warm water for 5 min, and cut into about 4-5” segments)


Scallions (green onions)
Cilantro (loosely chopped)
Black pepper
Fish sauce to taste

PREPARATION
1. Peel squash, cut into thick pieces.
2. 10 frozen fresh shrimp, place shrimp in cool water until defrosted, then rinse with water, flatten shrimp very flat (with side of your knife, press down on shrimp as hard as you can), and lightly chop with blunt side of your knife. Lightly season with salt and pepper and put aside.
3. Add water, salt, pepper, sugar into pot and bring to boil, add shrimp and cook for about 3 minutes.
4. Then add noodles and squash for 2 min (don't over cook), remove from heat, your squash will still cook down some in the broth.
5. Add fish sauce to taste, add more salt/sugar/pepper as needed.
6. Transfer to soup bowl, and garnish with some cilantro, green onions on top and black pepper