Vietnamese Pumpkin Soup (Canh Bi Do)
Vietnamese Pumpkin Soup, known as Canh Bi Do, combines tender cooking pumpkin pieces with ground pork seasoned simply with garlic, salt, and optional fish sauce. The clear broth is light yet savory, balancing the sweetness of the pumpkin and mild pork flavor. Cooking the pork first with garlic creates a fragrant base, and gently simmering the squash in water allows it to soften without breaking down. Fresh herbs like scallion and cilantro finish the soup with a bright, fresh note, making this dish a comforting and mildly spiced soup option.
Ingredients
- 14 oz butternut squash or Kabocha squash, or other types of cooking pumpkin, peeled, uncooked
- 5 oz ground pork (with low percentage of fat preferably)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt (to taste)
- olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce to taste, optional
- scallion thinly sliced
- cilantro roughly chopped
- black pepper
Instructions
- Cut squash into small pieces, about ½-¾ inch thick. Set aside. Mix ground pork with ¼ teaspoon of salt.
- Place a pot over medium heat and heat a small amount of oil. Once the oil is hot, add minced garlic and cook briefly until fragrant.
- Add ground pork. Stir and cook while breaking up the meat. Add the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt and continue to stir and cook until the pork is no longer pink on the outside.
- Pour water into the pot and bring it to a boil. Skim off any foam and lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover with the lid slightly askew and simmer for about 5-10 minutes.
- Open the lid and add squash pieces. Increase the heat and let the soup come to a rolling simmer. Then skim off foam and lower the heat back to a gentle simmer. Cover with the lid slightly askew and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the squash is tender to your liking.
- Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with salt or fish sauce to your liking. Transfer to serving bowls. Scatter chopped scallion and cilantro on top and sprinkle some black pepper. Serve right away.
Notes
- Peel and weigh pumpkin raw for accurate quantity; 14 oz peeled corresponds to about half a medium butternut squash.
- Use ground pork with the least fat available for a lighter broth; if higher fat pork is used, cook longer to render and remove excess fat.
- Adjust salt and optional fish sauce to taste for desired seasoning depth.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 3 people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 187
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 187kcal | 9% |
| Carbohydrates | 16g | 5% |
| Protein | 9g | 18% |
| Fat | 10g | 15% |
| Saturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Cholesterol | 34mg | 11% |
| Sodium | 705mg | 29% |
| Potassium | 601mg | 13% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 3g | 6% |
| Vitamin A | 14063IU | 281% |
| Vitamin C | 29mg | 32% |
| Calcium | 81mg | 8% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.