Vietnamese comfort food: dishes that feel like home

Vietnamese comfort food is mostly simple home cooking: rice porridge (cháo), light everyday soups (canh), caramel-braised pork (thịt kho), sticky rice (xôi) and noodle soups like phở. These are the dishes people often associate with being cared for, whether that's a bowl of porridge on a sick day or rice with braised pork at a family table.

Here's a guide to the classics, plus a recipe for chicken rice porridge, one of the easiest to make at home.

What makes a dish "comfort food" in Vietnam?

Comfort food in any culture tends to be warm, soft, familiar and not fussy. In Vietnamese cooking, that often means rice in some form, a savory broth, and gentle seasoning that can be adjusted with fish sauce, pepper or herbs at the table. Many of these dishes are cheap and stretch a little meat a long way.

Cháo: rice porridge

Cháo (say "chow," with a rising tone) is rice simmered in lots of water or broth until soft and thick. It's a common choice for breakfast, late nights and sick days. Versions include:

• Cháo gà: chicken porridge, often with ginger and green onions.
• Cháo cá: fish porridge.
• Cháo lòng: porridge with pork offal, a popular street dish.
• Cháo trắng: plain porridge, eaten with salty side dishes.

The texture varies by region and family. Some like it thin and silky, others thick.

Canh: everyday soup

Canh is a light, brothy soup served with rice at family meals. It's not a showpiece; it's the quiet part of the meal that ties everything together. Common examples include squash soup, greens with minced pork, and canh chua, a sweet-and-sour soup popular in the South. See canh chua, Vietnamese sweet and sour soup.

Thịt kho: braised pork

Thịt kho is pork braised in caramel sauce, fish sauce and often coconut water until tender. In the South, thịt kho trứng, with hard-boiled eggs, is a well-known version and is closely associated with Tết. Served over plain rice, it's rich and deeply savory. Our recipe is in thịt kho trứng: braised pork and eggs.

Xôi: sticky rice

Xôi is steamed glutinous rice, eaten sweet or savory, often for breakfast. It's filling, portable and sold from street stalls in the morning. Toppings include mung beans, fried shallots, peanuts, shredded chicken or Chinese sausage. More in xôi: Vietnamese sticky rice for breakfast.

Noodle soups

Phở is the famous one, but bún bò Huế, hủ tiếu and bún riêu are all comfort bowls in their own regions. A steaming bowl of broth and noodles is a common answer to cold weather, tiredness or a long day.

Easy cháo gà (chicken rice porridge)

This makes about 4 servings and takes around 1 hour, mostly hands-off. Contains fish (fish sauce).

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup (150 g) jasmine rice
• 1 pound (450 g) bone-in chicken thighs or drumsticks
• 8 cups (about 2 liters) water
• 1 thumb-size piece of ginger, sliced
• 1 small onion, peeled and halved
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce plus 1 teaspoon salt, with more of each to taste
• To serve: sliced green onions, cilantro, fried shallots, black pepper, lime wedges

Steps

1. Rinse the rice in a bowl of water, swirling and draining two or three times until the water is mostly clear. For extra flavor, toast the drained rice in a dry pan over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until lightly golden.
2. Put the chicken, water, ginger and onion in a large pot. Bring to a boil, skim off any foam, then lower to a gentle simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
3. Lift out the chicken and let it cool. Discard the onion and ginger, or leave the ginger in for a stronger flavor.
4. Add the rice to the broth. Simmer, partly covered, for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring now and then so it doesn't stick, until the grains break down and the porridge is thick and creamy. Add hot water if it gets too thick.
5. Shred the chicken, discarding the skin and bones if you like.
6. Season the porridge with fish sauce and salt. Taste and adjust.
7. Ladle into bowls, top with chicken, green onions, cilantro, fried shallots and lots of black pepper. Squeeze in lime at the table.

Leftover cháo thickens in the fridge. Reheat with a splash of water or broth, stirring until smooth.

Making comfort food your own

Vietnamese home cooks rarely follow strict recipes for these dishes. Families add their own touches: more ginger, a different herb, a pinch of sugar. Once you've made a basic version, adjust it until it tastes right to you.

Make a pot of cháo on a quiet evening, set out the toppings, and let everyone build their own bowl.