COMMUNITY CHEFS LA: Canh Chua Chay (Vegan Vietnamese Tamarind Soup) with Huong
"Canh chua literally translates to 'sour soup.' It is a beautiful combo of tangy and sweet. The ingredients here are just some variations. This dish has evolved and expanded in so many ways due to dietary needs (vegan/vegetarian being one of them) or in this case, immigration patterns of Vietnamese refugees around the world. Ingredient substitutes for dishes like these were developed since certain cultural foods didn't exist in local stores. For instance, celery was used in place of bạc hà (elephant ears)* for a long time before it was grown in LA. This is an homage to the resourcefulness of the Vietnamese community and all that we've evolved to over time." —huong from San Gabriel Valley
*bạc hà - some people call it "taro stems" but the varieties are actually quite different; find these at your local Vietnamese store, but otherwise celery is fine!
SERVES: 4
TIME: 30 MIN
Ingredients
5 cups of water
1 tablespoon sugar/equivalent of rock sugar
1.5 oz fresh tamarind, removed from pod and deseeded (alternatively, 1/2 bag of tamarind powder or 1 tbs of tamarind concentrate - have extra on hand of whichever you may choose for tasting)
2-3 ripe (but firm!) tomatoes cut into wedges (any color, variety your heart desires!)
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup okra, sliced diagonally
1-2 stems of celery/elephant ears
1/2 - 1 cup of bean sprouts
2-3 king oyster mushrooms, sliced diagonally about 1/2 inches
10 sprigs of rice paddy herbs, roughly chopped
5 cloves of garlic, coarsely minced (omit if doing Buddhist vegan*)
2 shallots, thinly sliced (omit if doing Buddhist vegan)
Other ingredients you can include: pineapple, shiitake mushrooms, to name a few!
*Buddhist veganism omits strong-smelling plants like garlic & shallots
Method
Slice your shallots thinly and fry in about 4 tbsp of cooking oil until golden brown - if they're browning too fast, turn down the heat. Remove from the oil and set on a paper towel to drain - set aside. If you're going the Buddhist vegan route, skip this step.
In a large pot, use the same oil from the shallot frying to saute your garlic until fragrant, but not brown. If you're going the Buddhist vegan route, skip this step.
Add in your water and bring to a boil. Then add in your tamarind and salt. Bring to a boil again over medium heat. The soup at this point will be a lot more sour than it'll end up - you want it to be this way so that the vegetables don't fully dilute the flavor from the base.
Add your tomatoes first - cook for about 2-3 minutes. Begin adding your vegetables one at a time, beginning with the ones that take longer to cook and may add more flavor to the soup. For instance: pineapple, okra, mushrooms, celery (but not the elephant ears, because those are softer and more porous).
When your last added vegetable has turned a vibrant color, but is still tender, turn the heat down lower to season with the sugar. Add your bean sprouts. These will cook very quickly, but also will release some water - taste again with tamarind and/or sugar, to your liking. It should be a balance between sweet and tangy.
As soon as the bean sprouts are tender (not too soft!), turn the heat off. Add your rice paddy herbs to the pot to garnish. You can also serve in a bowl and add it there (including the fried shallots if you've included that step).
Enjoy with a bowl of rice or vermicelli!
TO SAVE THIS RECIPE: BOOKMARK THIS PAGE, VISIT OUR PINTREST, OR SAVE THE PHOTOS BELOW!
SUPPORT US!
It’s a difficult time for many nonprofits, including us. To support Good Food work and spark Good Food dialogues, check out our campaign called Seeds of Change LA! You can:
MAKE A ONE-TIME DONATION at any amount
SUBSCRIBE AT $30 PER MONTH, to support LAFPC, our Good Food partners, and provide seeds to community & school gardens!
