Canh Xà Lách Son Nấu với Tôm (Watercress Soup with Prawns)

Ingredients:
-1 bunch watercress
-1/4lb prawns
-1 green onion
-dash of oil
-3-4 cups water (approx.)
-salt, pinch of sugar

What to Do:
Peel, devein, and crush prawns. Crush and mince onion. Pinch watercress into short “bite size pieces”, wash and drain. Stir fry onion and prawns in oil until fragrant add water and bring to a boil, skim surface of soup. Add salt and sugar to taste. Add watercress right before serving.

Canh Bông Cải Thịt Vien (Cauliflower with Carrots and Pork Soup)

Ingredients:
-1/4lb ground pork
-1 scallion
-1/2 tsp each: pepper, fish sauce
-salt to taste
-1/2 cauliflower
-1 carrot
-approx. 5 cups water

What to Do:
Chop scallion and mix with pork, pepper, fish sauce and a pinch of sugar. Cut carrots into thin slices. Cut cauliflower into small bite size pieces. Boil water and add meat mixture a tsp at a time. Add carrots and bring soup to a boil skim surface and add cauliflower. Bring soup back to a boil, add salt to taste.

Gà Xào Măng Chua (Chicken with Pickled Bamboo Shoots )

Ingredients:
-1/2lb chicken
-1lb pickled bamboo shoots
-3 cloves garlic
-1 tbs sugar
-1 tsp fish sauce
-1/2 tsp oil
-salt to taste
-water

What to Do:
Cut chicken into bite size pieces. Peel and mince garlic. Wash bamboo shoots a few times to make it less salty, squeeze out excess water. Heat oil in a wok, fry garlic until fragrant, and add chicken, fish sauce, and sugar. Stir fry for about a minute, add bamboo mix well. Add a little water (a few tbs) and cover the wok with a lid. Once the water is almost all evaporated, lift the lid and stir fry for another 5 mins on high heat or until chicken is done. Add fish sauce and sugar to taste in needed.

Note:
The pickled bamboo shoots are pretty salty, thus not much “salt” is needed. Sugar is to balance out the sourness of the bamboo.