Recipe: Vietnamese Sour Tamarind Soup (Canh Chua)

It's amazing how, as a kid, you never question what you are eating. At least I didn't. I either liked it or didn't. It was that simple.

I didn't realize how little I knew about the dishes I grew up with until I started asking my mom or my aunt (who was like a mom to me) for the recipe, and then not knowing what half of the ingredients are. "What is that called in English?" I would ask. The answer back would always be, "I don't know, take a picture and go find out".

This Vietnamese sour tamarind soup was one of my favorite soups growing up. I loved the sour taste of the tamarind, combined with the sweet pineapple balanced with the shrimp and fresh veggies. I seldom use tamarind in my everyday cooking, so I was excited when I finally had a chance to use it.

Chinese brown sugar, one of the ingredients in this soup, is solid cane sugar sold in blocks. It is brown in color and rock hard. It is typically divided up into equal pieces.  The 65g of Chinese brown sugar called for in this recipe should be one full piece of the sugar sold in most packages.

This recipe yields 6-8 servings.

Vietnamese Sour Tamarind Soup (Canh Chua)
- 1 elephant ear stem, cut into 1/2 inch slices on an angle (if not easily accessible, substitute with 3-5 stalks of celery, sliced)
- 5 cups of bean sprouts
- 8-10 sprigs of rice paddy herb, roughly chopped with stems
- 2 large ripe vine tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 1/2 cups of fresh ripe pineapple chunks
- 1/2 lb of large shrimp with shell (approx 18-20)
- 824ml chicken broth
- 200g, 7 oz. block of tamarind me chua paste
- 6 cups of water
- 65 grams of Chinese solid brown sugar
- fish sauce or salt to taste
- fried shallots

Method
1. Prepare the tamarind soup base by dissolving the tamarind pulp in 3 1/2 cups of hot water in a pot. Heat the mixture on medium high heat for 8-10 minutes, breaking down the tamarind with a spoon or fork while it is heating. Once dissolved, the tamarind will turn into a thick dark paste. With a sieve, strain the seed and pulp to extract the tamarind water. Use a spoon to press the pulp to get more tamarind water.

2. In a large pot, combine 2 cups of the tamarind water, chicken broth and 2 1/2 cups of water, and bring to a boil. Add the solid brown sugar and mix until completely dissolved. Add the shrimp and let it boil until it is just cooked (approx 1-2 min). Take out the shrimp and set aside so they don't overcook. Turn off the heat. Your soup base in now ready. At this point, depending on your taste, you may want to add a bit more water to make it less sour, some fish sauce to add flavor and to make the soup saltier, or more tamarind water for a more sour taste. Everyone likes it slightly different.

3. This soup is meant to be enjoyed fresh and you only prepare it when you are ready to serve. For 1 individual bowl, in a pot, combine 1 cup of the tamarind soup base, 3 pineapple chunks, 3 tomato chunks, 5 slices of elephant ear stem, and bring the soup to a boil (2-3 minutes). Add a handful of the bean sprouts, 3-4 cooked shrimp and let it boil for another minute. Turn off the heat and pour the soup into a soup bowl. Garnish with rice paddy herbs and fried shallots. Enjoy the soup hot, plain or with white Jasmine rice. To prepare a larger bowl, simply scale up from the portions described above.

For extra flavor, you can prepare a small bowl of fish sauce mixed with sliced red Thai chiles and dip your shrimp into it. If you don't like shrimp, you can substitute it with white fish or chicken. Do not use beef. It will alter the taste of the soup.

Elephant Ear Stem

Ingredients for Sour Tamarind Soup

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Recipe: Lebanese Beef and Potato Stew

This is an authentic Lebanese recipe that will hit the spot if you're in the mood for something stew-y and warm. This stew can be eaten on its own or in true Lebanese style, with pita bread. This recipe calls for allspice and cinnamon, which adds a nice subtle spicy taste.

Beware of the imitation allspice that is sold in some grocery stores. The real stuff is a dried unripe fruit from the Pimenta dioica tree native to Mexico and Central America, and not a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

The name allspice was coined in the 17th century because the taste resembled the combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

This recipe yields 4-6 large servings.

Lebanese Beef and Potato Stew
- 1 large onion, diced
- 0.5kg ground beef
- 5 small potatoes, peeled and cut in quarters
- 4 Chinese eggplants, peeled and cut in quarters
- 2 hot house tomatoes, chopped
- 4 carrots, peeled and cut in 2 inch pieces
- 1/3 cup of basmati rice
- 3 Tbsp of tomato paste
- 4 cups of water
- 1/8 - 1/4 tsp all spice (depends on your taste)
- 2 large pinches of cinnamon
- salt + pepper to taste
- extra virgin olive oil

Method
1. Sprinkle the eggplant with salt and let it sit until it starts to release water. Approx 5-15 minutes. Pat the eggplant dry with a paper towel. This gets rid of the bitter taste in the eggplant. In an oiled pan, pan fry the eggplant until soft.

2. In an oiled casserole pot, saute the onions until translucent (approx 3 minutes). Add the ground beef and saute until the beef is 3/4 of the way cooked.  Add the potatoes and carrots and saute for another 3-5 minutes to blend the flavors.

3. Add water, tomato paste, tomatoes, all spice, cinnamon, salt and pepper and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the rice stir well and then lay the eggplant softly into the stew. Simmer for another 25 minutes. Once the eggplant is added, do not stir the pot too much as it will break the eggplant.

4. If you find the stew is not watery enough, add more water. Season with more salt and pepper if needed. Serve hot with bread or rice.

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Black Bean and Tomato Soup

At home, CK and I are trying to eat more organic foods and less meat these days. I eat out a lot when I'm travelling so when I'm home, I try to eat really healthy to balance the fat, grease and salt I put into my body when I'm away.

Ok, so I don't eat super healthy right when I get home. Because I'm so used to eating out when I'm on the road, I have to ween myself off of the excessive eating and drinking. I have what I call my 'weening period'. Doesn't matter what day of the week I come home, I get to eat what I want, as much as I want (like driving to a late night bakery after stuffing my face at a dinner party, and ordering every type of croissant available for dessert, and then eating it in the car because I can't wait for the 5 minute drive home - yep, I'm sexy and I know it!) for the rest of the week, AND THEN I start my healthy eating and regular exercise.

This delicious black bean soup is my recent healthy concoction packed with protein, nutrients...and gas! Just blame it on the dog if you're eating this with other people.

Most of the ingredients in my recipe were organic, but I didn't list it as such. It's your choice

This recipe yields 6-8 servings.

Black Bean and Tomato Soup
- 4 (19 fl. oz, 540mL) cans of black bean
- 1 ( 28 fl. oz, 794mL) can of diced tomatoes
- 3 carrots, diced
- 3 stalks of celery, diced
- 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 cups of vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 tsp of paprika
- 1 tsp of cumin
- 1 tsp of chili powder
- 1 generous cup of cilantro, roughly chopped

Method
1. In a pan, saute the onions and garlic until translucent (about 2-3 minutes). Turn the heat off and set aside.

2. In a food processor, process 2 cans of black beans, the diced tomatoes and some of the sauteed onions and garlic (about 1/4 cup) until smooth.

3. Add the celery and carrots to the remaining garlic and onions to the pan, and continue to saute until the carrots and celery is tender (about 5-8 minutes). Transfer the vegetables into a large pot, along with the processed bean mixture, stock, remaining black beans, paprika, cumin, chili powder, and cilantro and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve hot.

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Spinach Egg Drop Soup

Soup season is officially here! Whenever the weather starts to get cold outside, I default to soup. I have it almost every day until it starts to warm up again. There is something so comforting about a hot brothy soup, full of veggies and goodness, warming up the body when it's cold outside. Kinda like a big warm fuzzy sweater for the soul.

This spinach egg drop soup is an easy soup to whip up if you don't have a lot of time. It is very similar to the Italian stracciatella, but minus the cheese. CK is not a fan of soups, but he says yes to a bowl of this everytime! Now that says a lot.

Spinach Egg Drop Soup
- 300g of baby spinach
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 4 cups of vegetable broth
- 2 cups of water
- 3 eggs
- 1 can (19 fl. oz, 540 mL) of white kidney beans
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt + pepper

Method
1. In a pan, saute the garlic until slightly translucent. Add the spinach and some salt, and continue to saute until the spinach has wilted.

2. In a large pot, combine the broth and water and bring to a boil. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and set aside. When the broth comes to a boil, turn the heat down slightly and add the spinach.

3. While the soup is still hot and slightly boiling, pour the egg very slowly into the middle of the pot. With a fork immersed in the soup, beat the egg as you are pouring it into the soup. This will break up the egg while it is cooking and create a cloud like look. Add the beans. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

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Persian Yellow Plum Stew (Khoresh Aloo)

This dish is one of my favorite Persian dishes, and is best enjoyed in the summer time. It is a stew made of fresh herbs and yellow plums, all of which taste the best in the summer months.

Persians love their food sour, which is why I call for semi-ripe plums and why I don't have an exact measurement in the recipe. If you prefer your food sweeter, I would suggest either using ripe plums or more sugar. For me, 2 Tablespoons of sugar was good enough.

Yellow plums are typically harvested June - Sept, and are about the size of golf balls. They are very sour when unripe, but very sweet with a honey like taste when ripe.

This stew calls for A LOT of fresh herbs. Our local grocery store sells Italian parsley for cheap but that's not always the case depending on where you live. Alternatively, you can grow your own herbs, which is very easy to do.

Mint grows like weeds in our garden, so I make a lot of dishes that incorporate mint in the summer time. I'll even stuff them in my sandwiches just because I can!

This recipe yields 4-6 servings.

Persian Yellow Plum Stew (Khoresh Aloo)
- 25 semi-ripe yellow plums
- 3/4 lbs stewing beef or good quality steak cut in 1 inch cubes
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 8 cups of fresh Italian parsley, loosely packed and finely chopped
- 3 cups of fresh mint , loosely packed and finely chopped
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 1/2 cups of water
- salt
- pepper
- 2-4 Tbsp sugar

Method
1. In a lightly oiled pot, saute the onions until translucent. Add in the beef, turmeric and few shakes of salt and pepper, and saute until the beef is 3/4 of the way cooked.

2. Turn the heat down to a simmer. Add in the water, Italian parsley, mint, 1/4 tsp of salt, and simmer for 60 minutes with the lid on. Stir occasionally. Add in the plums and simmer until the plums have cooked and have fallen off the pit (approx 10 minutes). Remove the pits, add sugar, and stir gently. Serve hot with basmati rice.

I say to gently stir at the end because Persians like to see chunks of plum in their stew. CK and I like it more on the mushy side, so I probably stirred a bit more than I should have.

This is definitely is not a typical stew, and you need to develop an acquired taste for it. But honestly, get past the fact that you are eating plums for dinner, and embrace it! As I said, it is one of my favorite Persian dishes.

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Persian Spinach and Noodle Soup (Ash-e Reshteh)

This spinach noodle soup is my secret weapon to staying healthy. When I'm not eating out, I make sure I eat damn well, and this soup is one of my default dishes. This soup is likely the first thing I make when I return from my travels. I make a huge honkin pot that will last me days, and this is how I 'detox' from my travels.

To some, this soup will look extremely unappetizing, but if you keep an open mind, you'll learn that it is delicious. What's best is that you get everything your body craves: protein, vegetables, fiber, carbohydrates...

I recently received an email from a reader asking for the recipe for this soup (after seeing this old post), so here it is. Good luck and I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.
This recipe yields 8-10 servings.

Persian Spinach and Noodle Soup (Ash-e Reshteh)
- 11 oz, 312g package of fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 6 scallions, roughly chopped
- 2 cups of coriander, roughly chopped and loosely packed
- 2 Tbsp dried mint
- 10 cups of water, or broth of choice
- 1/3 cup of dried chickpeas
- 1/3 cup of dried red kidney beans
- 1/3 cup of dried navy beans
- 3/4 cup of dried green lentils
- 3 small onions, finely chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 2 cups of dried Persian noodles (reshteh)
- 1 tsp of turmeric powder
- salt and pepper
- extra virgin olive oil

Method
1. Steam the chickpeas, kidney beans, and navy beans. To do this, boil 2 cups of salted water in a small pot. Turn off the heat, pour in the beans, and leave the lid on for at least 40 minutes. Drain excess water.

2. In a large pot, sautee the onions and garlic with extra virgin olive oil, turmeric, and a dash of salt. Add 10 cups of water (or broth), and bring to a boil. Add spinach, coriander, scallions, and mint. Simmer for 45 minutes

3. Add the steamed beans. Continue to simmer for 20 minutes. Add the dried lentils. Continue to simmer for 15 minutes. Add the noodles and simmer for an additional 15 minutes. Turn off the heat. Serve hot. If you feel your soup is not thick enough, sift some all purpose flour into the soup.

Once you get comfortable with making this soup, you can go ahead and use any combination of greens and beans you want. For the greens, keep in mind that the majority should be spinach.

If you don't want to spend the time to prepare the dried beans, you can always used canned beans which takes a lot less time. If that is the case, add the beans near the end of the recipe so that they don't overcook.

Persians like to add a hint of sourness to this soup. An option is to stir in a bit of plain yogurt or whey right before serving.

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Roasted Root Stew

This stew was influenced by my recent dinner at Zen Kitchen. Chef Caroline Ishii served me a hearty root vegetable pot pie that I've been thinking about ever since.

I finally stopped dreaming, and decided to make my own stew instead. I bought up all the root vegetables I could find, and got cooking. My mother-in-law started adding apple cider to her soups, so I decided to do the same with my stew. This gave the dish a nice slight tang. What I really like about this stew is its strong rustic and earthy taste.

This recipe yields 6-8 servings.

Roasted Root Stew
- 1 cup of carrots, diced
- 2 cups of sweet potatoes, diced
- 1 cup of parsnips, diced
- 1 cup of white turnips, diced
- 1 cup of small red potatoes, diced
- 1 1/2 cups of yellow beets, diced
- 1 cup of red beets, diced
- 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
- 1 leek, white and light green parts roughly chopped
- 3 cups of vegetable stock or water
- 1 1/4 cup of apple cider
- 1 tsp of dried rosemary
- 2-3 Bay leaves
- 1 Tbsp of fresh sage, finely chopped
- 1 sprig of fresh thyme
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 Tbsp of all-purpose flour
- salt and pepper
- extra virgin olive oil

Method
1. Pre-heat the oven to 350F/175C. Toss the root vegetables in some olive oil. Season with 1 tsp of rosemary, and some salt + pepper. Line a baking sheet with tin foil. Spread the vegetables on the baking sheet, and bake for 20 minutes. If your vegetables are crowded like mine were, stir the vegetables half way through baking to avoid steaming.

2. In a pot, sautee the leeks, celery, garlic, and sage for 10 minutes. Add the roasted root vegetables, apple cider, thyme, and bay leaves to the pot. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add the broth to the pot, and simmer for 40 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Right before the stew is done cooking, sift in the flour to thicken up the stew. Discard the bay leaves and thyme. Serve hot.

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Chinese Corn Soup

Soup season has officially started. With the cold weather, all I want to do is make soup. Warm, thick, hearty, make your heart feel good soups.

I try to make a different soup each week so that I don't get sick of my own cooking. This week, I made a Chinese corn soup. I used to have this as a kid when I used to visit my aunt. Years later, I finally got the recipe.

This soup is ridiculously easy to make. I love how it is both sweet and salty, and I also really like the crunchy bits of corn you get in every spoonful. This recipe uses shrimp, but you can easily substitute it for chicken or pork.

This soup is usually eaten as an appetizer, so the the serving size is smaller than normal.

This recipe yields 8-10 servings (depending on serving size)

Chinese Corn Soup
- 250g shrimp, de-veined and shells removed
- 2 cans (14 fl. oz, 398mL each) cream style corn
- 1 can (12 fl. oz, 341mL) whole corn kernels
- 3 cups of liquid chicken broth
- 3 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp powdered chicken broth
- 1/8 tsp sesame oil
- 1/8 tsp white pepper
- 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
- salt and pepper to taste

Method
1. Cut the shrimp in 1/2 inch pieces. In a bowl, mix the shrimp, 2 tsp of cornstarch, powdered chicken broth, white pepper, sesame oil, and sugar until the shrimp pieces are evenly coated. Set aside to marinate. In a separate bowl, mix 1 tsp of corn starch with 1 tablespoon of cold water and stir until corn starch has dissolved.

2. In a pot over medium heat, combine the liquid chicken broth, cream style corn, and whole corn kernels until it just starts to boil. Stir occasionally. Add the shrimp and corn starch water, and stir frequently in one direction for 5 minutes or until the shrimp is cooked. Stirring frequently in one direction will prevent the corn starch from clumping. Turn off the heat.

3. Pour the egg white very slowly into the middle of the pot. With a fork immersed in the soup, beat the egg white as you are pouring it into the soup. This will break up the egg white and create a cloud like look. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

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Celery Stew (Khoresh Karafs)

I've realized that most Persian food is not photogenic. It is unfortunate because it is one of my favorite cuisines. I wish it were easier to translate the spectacular tastes found in Persian cuisine into a visually appealing photograph.

I never really understood slow cooking until I learned how to make Persian food...patience is key, my friends. Persian cuisine comprises of a lot of khoresh's, or stews. Their stews are different from what you would normally see because most are herb or fruit based.

This celery stew is an example of an herb based khoresh. Because the herbs are cooked for a really long time, they don't have an overwhelming taste. The strongest flavors in this particular stew are the celery and the lime. This stew is best eaten with basmati rice.

The following recipe yields 4 servings.

Celery Stew (Khoresh Karafs)
- 4 cups of parsley, finely chopped and tightly packed
- 3/4 lbs of stewing beef, cut in pieces
- 1 medium onion , finely chopped
- 8-10 celery stalks, cut in 1 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 cup of water
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp dried mint
- 1/2 of a lime, juice
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste

Method
1. In a lightly oiled pot, sautee the onions until translucent. Add in the beef, turmeric and some salt, and sautee until the beef is 3/4 of the way cooked.

2. Turn the heat down to a simmer. Add in the water, parsley, and dried mint and simmer for 45 minutes with the lid on. Stir occasionally. Add in the celery and simmer for another 45 minutes with the lid on. Stir occasionally.

3. Turn the heat off. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add in the lime juice. Stir well and serve.
Persians love their food sour. If you want, you can add rhubarb in addition to the celery for a more sour taste. I've never tried cooking it like that myself, but a friend did and it was awesome.

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Chunky Vegetable and Barley Soup

I've been eating out a lot! It's not just lately, it's been the last 7 months. Hmm...right around the time I started my food blog. What a coincidence. Well, my friends, it has finally caught up to me. I don't eat in moderation anymore. When I go out to restaurants, I like to order a few appetizers + a main + dessert. It doesn't matter if it's not good for me, or if I don't have the room in my stomach, I just want to try it all.

I'm going to start eating healthier for the summer. This means more cooking at home, which means more recipes.

Here is an awesome veggie soup that is good for all occasions. I eat this when I want to cleanse my body, or when I am sick with a cold. It is packed with nothing but goodness. In the summer time, I like to eat this cold like you would gazpacho.

This recipe makes 4 servings.

Chunky Vegetable and Barley Soup- 1 (796ml, 28 fl. oz) can whole peeled tomatoes with juices, chopped
- 3 cups of water
- 1/4 cup of cilantro, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup of curly parsley, finely chopped
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 1 leek (light green part only), chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1/2 cup of barley
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp of turmeric
- salt and pepper to taste
- extra virgin olive oil

Method1. On high heat, heat a large pot with some extra virgin olive oil, and sautee the onion, garlic, and turmeric until the onions are translucent.

2. Turn heat down to medium. Add the tomatoes, water, cilantro, parsley, scallions, and leek, and cook for 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Turn the heat down to simmer. Add celery and carrots and cook for 20 minutes with the lid on.

4. Add the barley, and cook for 30 minutes with the lid on, stirring occasionally. Add more salt and pepper if required.
If you prefer a more watery soup, use less barley.

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Red Lentil Dal

I know I said I was going to post my Viva Pops post next, but I wanted to share this kick a** dal recipe before the weather becomes too hot for a hearty dish like this.

I wanted to cook something hearty but light. Although it is June, and summer is around the corner, it has been rainy here in Ottawa. This is a healthy dish that is full of flavor, and is great for cool and rainy days.

I got this recipe from my mother-in-law, and my friend K perfected it by adding cauliflower. Even my sister, who has some weird abhorrence of dal, loves this dish!

This recipe yields 4 servings.

Red Lentil Dal
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ginger, minced
- 2 tsp vegetable oil
- 4 cups of cauliflower florets
- 3 bay leaves
- 5 Tbsp low fat plain yogurt
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 (796ml, 28 fl. oz) can whole peeled tomatoes with juices, chopped
- 1 Tbsp curry powder
- 1 cup of red lentils
- 1/2 cup coriander + 2 Tbsp coriander, finely chopped
- cayenne pepper to taste (I used 1/4 tsp)
- salt + pepper to taste

Method
1. On medium heat, sautee the oil, garlic, ginger, and onion in a pot until the onions are translucent.

2. Add the tomatoes, 2 Tbsp of coriander, bay leaves, and all of the spices into the pot, and cook until the tomatoes are crushed. This will be approximately 10 minutes.

3. Turn the heat down to simmer. Add the lentils to the tomatoes, and cook with the lid on for 20 minutes.

4. Add in the cauliflower and cook with the lid on for 25 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender.

5. Add in the rest of the coriander, and cook for 5 minutes. Add more salt + pepper if needed. Turn off the heat. Remove the bay leaves and discard.

6. Right before serving while still warm, stir in the yogurt. This step makes all the difference.

Enjoy this dish as is, or with your favorite bread!

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Sweet Potato and Leek Soup

Winter is approaching fast. You can just feel it in the air. The cold weather always prompts me to make hearty soups that not only warm up the body, but the soul as well.

The grocery store had leeks and sweet potatoes on special this week, and they were just sitting side by side like they were meant to be together. This, I thought, would be the perfect opportunity to use that sweet potato and leek soup recipe that's been stowed away. I got the recipe from a friend, and never got around to making it...until now, that is.

When I brought the groceries into my car, the aroma of the leeks filled the vehicle up quickly, which made me even more excited to make my soup. This is a very flavourful soup that tastes just like what it is made up of: sweet potato and leek. Serve this with a warm baguette, and you're set.

This recipe serves 6 - 8.

Sweet Potato and Leek Soup

- 8 cups of chicken or vegetable broth

- 2 1/2 pounds of sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped

- 3 leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)

- 3 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped

- salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Combine the sweet potatoes, leeks, chives, salt, pepper, and broth in a pot and bring to a boil

2. Reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are soft (approx 30 - 45 minutes)

3. Remove from heat and let the soup cool

4. Transfer the soup mixture to a blender and purée

5. Re-heat the soup on a low setting and serve

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