Classic Vietnamese Soup Dish: Pork Spare Rib Soup with Opo Squash (Canh Suon Nau Bau)

Classic Vietnamese Soup Dish: Pork Spare Rib Soup with Opo Squash (Canh Sườn Nấu Bầu)
A traditional soup side dish to eat with steamed rice.
Serves 5
Ingredients
1 lb pork spare ribs (cut into bite-sized pieces)
1 small opo squash (peel and cut into thick matchsticks)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 shallot (peel and slice thin)
3 garlic cloves (peel and slice thin)
1½ quarts water
2½ teaspoons chicken bouillon powder
1½ teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon granulated cane sugar
4 sprigs cilantro (slice thin)
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
In a medium pot, add oil and heat on high. Add shallots and garlic. Fry until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
Add pork ribs and toss in the aromatics. Pan fry for 2 minutes until nicely caramelized on the outside. Add half of the seasonings directly onto the pork ribs: chicken bouillon powder, salt, fish sauce, and sugar. Toss to coat.
Add water. Bring the pot to a low simmer and cook for 30 minutes or until pork ribs are chopstick tender. Skim off the impurities at the top. You can also remove the aromatics as they already served their purpose.
Add squash. Cook for an additional 2 minutes or until squash is tender. Add remaining seasonings to taste. Garnish with cilantro and ground black pepper.
Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:04 Pork spare ribs
00:52 Opo Squash
03:18 Aromatics (shallots, garlic, and cilantro)
05:02 Cooking
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[@karenbenavente1124]

That soup looks very delicious and healthy too! Thank you

[@christiethorold]

Yum! Thank you for the recipe. I love your content on Instagram as well.

[@user-zl1wk3um1m]

What would be a good substitute for the opo squash? Looks great, ingredients easy to find and I love clear broth type soups.👍🙏❤️🇨🇦

[@v2pham]

Zucchini would be a good substitute.

[@user-zl1wk3um1m]

@@v2pham 🙏

[@Piqued5]

Great recipe thanks!! What type of cleaver do you use?

[@v2pham]

Tuo brand. Awesome and inexpensive. It's available on amzn.to/3K7U6e7