Vietnamese soup recipes beyond pho

Beyond pho, Vietnamese soups include tangy canh chua, crab-and-tomato bún riêu, spicy bún bò Huế, clear Southern hủ tiếu, everyday canh and soothing cháo. Many are easier than pho, and a simple chicken rice porridge (cháo gà) is a great first recipe.

Two kinds of Vietnamese soup

It helps to know there are roughly two families:

• Noodle soups: a full meal in a bowl, like pho, bún bò Huế or hủ tiếu.
• Canh: lighter soups served alongside rice and other dishes at a family meal, like a side dish you sip.

Cháo, rice porridge, sits somewhere in between: it's a meal on its own, often eaten when someone wants something gentle.

Noodle soups to know

• Bún bò Huế: a spicy, lemongrass-scented beef and pork noodle soup from Huế, with thick round rice noodles. See what is bún bò Huế.
• Bún riêu: a tomato-based soup with fluffy crab paste and rice vermicelli. See bún riêu.
• Hủ tiếu: a clear, slightly sweet pork broth with chewy noodles, popular in the South. See hủ tiếu.
• Mì Quảng: from Quảng Nam, served with just a little rich broth. See mì Quảng.
• Bánh canh: thick, chewy noodles, often made with tapioca, in a hearty broth.

Canh: the everyday soup

Canh is the soup most Vietnamese families eat most often. It's quick, light and usually made with a little meat or shrimp and plenty of vegetables. Some common ones:

• Canh chua: sweet-and-sour soup with tamarind, pineapple, tomato and fish. Very Southern. See canh chua.
• Canh bí: squash or gourd soup with ground pork or shrimp.
• Canh cải: mustard greens soup, often with ground pork.
• Canh khổ qua: bitter melon stuffed with seasoned pork, simmered in broth.
• Canh rau ngót: a light soup of sweet leaf greens.

These soups are part of the rhythm described in Vietnamese food culture.

Cháo: rice porridge

Cháo is rice simmered in lots of water or broth until it breaks down into a soft, creamy porridge. It's often eaten for breakfast, on cold days or when someone is feeling under the weather. Common versions include cháo gà (chicken), cháo cá (fish) and cháo lòng (pork offal).

Recipe: cháo gà (chicken rice porridge)

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 1/2 lb (680 g) bone-in chicken thighs or drumsticks
• 1 thumb-size piece of ginger, sliced
• 2 shallots, peeled
• 10 cups (2.4 liters) water
• 3/4 cup (150 g) jasmine rice, rinsed
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce, plus more to taste, and 1 teaspoon salt
• To serve: sliced scallions, cilantro, fried shallots, black pepper, lime wedges and sliced chili

Steps

• 1. Put the chicken, ginger, shallots and water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, skim off any foam, then simmer gently, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
• 2. Meanwhile, toast the rinsed and well-drained rice in a dry skillet over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, until it smells nutty and turns slightly opaque. This adds flavor.
• 3. Remove the chicken and set it aside to cool. Add the rice to the broth and simmer, stirring now and then, for 35 to 45 minutes, until it breaks down into a thick, soft porridge.
• 4. Shred the chicken, discarding skin and bones.
• 5. Season the porridge with fish sauce and salt. Add more water if it's too thick; it thickens as it sits.
• 6. Serve topped with shredded chicken, scallions, cilantro, fried shallots and plenty of black pepper, with lime and chili on the side.

Cháo gà is traditionally served with a simple ginger salad or a side of nước chấm with chicken pieces for dipping.

Allergens

These soups commonly use fish sauce. Bún riêu contains crab and often shrimp paste, and canh chua usually includes fish. Bún bò Huế uses fermented shrimp paste (mắm ruốc). Check recipes and swap where needed.

Which soup should you make first?

If you're new to Vietnamese soups, start with cháo gà or a simple canh. They need ordinary ingredients and little technique. When you're comfortable, try canh chua for a bright, tangy contrast, then a weekend noodle soup.

Toast the rice before simmering your cháo; it's a small step that makes the whole pot taste richer.