Home Food & Receipts 4 Hearty and Healthy Homemade Soups to Warm You Up This Winter

Food & Receipts

4 Hearty and Healthy Homemade Soups to Warm You Up This Winter

24 January, 2025

Braised Silver Carp Soup with Mustard Greens

Remove the tough stems and old leaves from the mustard greens, then wash thoroughly. Depending on your preference, you can chop or cut them into small pieces.

Clean the silver carp and place it in a pot of boiling water with a pinch of salt and crushed ginger. Once cooked, remove the fish and set it aside to cool. Debone the fish, marinate the flesh with spices, and either grind the bones to extract their flavor or make a broth with them.

Braised Silver Carp Soup with Mustard Greens

There are two ways to prepare this soup. For a simple, light flavor, boil the broth, add the mustard greens and cook until tender. Season to taste, then return the fish to the pot to heat through, adding some crushed or shredded ginger for extra flavor.

Alternatively, for a heartier taste, sauté dried shallots, add the marinated fish and briefly stir-fry before transferring everything to the boiling broth along with the greens. When the soup comes back to a boil, add crushed ginger to release its aroma, and your dish is ready.

Eggplant and Tofu Soup

Wash the eggplants, trim the stems, and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Soak them in a dilute salt solution with a splash of lemon juice to preserve their pale color.

Chop the tomatoes into wedges, strain the fermented bean curd, grate and squeeze the fresh turmeric, and crush the garlic cloves. Wash and finely chop the spring onions, basil, and Vietnamese coriander.

For the best flavor, roast the beans over charcoal. Sauté the shallots, then add the pork belly and stir-fry until it changes color. Toss in the tomatoes and give them a quick stir before adding water and simmering over low heat. Put the eggplants in, along with the remaining turmeric juice and fermented bean curd, adjusting the seasoning to taste. Continue cooking for 10–15 minutes.

When the eggplants turn translucent, add the tofu and let it simmer for a few minutes to absorb the flavors. Finally, stir in the spring onions, basil, Vietnamese coriander, and crushed garlic to finish the dish.

Pork Rib Soup with Potatoes and Carrots

A familiar dish in northern Vietnam during winter is the hearty soup made with pork ribs, potatoes, and carrots, although turnips can be used instead for a delightful variation.

Soak the ribs in a brine solution, then parboil them to remove any impurities. Marinate the ribs with spices for extra flavor. Sauté the ribs until they change color, then add water and simmer over low heat until tender. When the ribs are cooked, toss in the potatoes and carrots, cut into similar-sized pieces, and continue cooking until everything is done. Adjust the seasoning to taste. This soup is a perfect blend of colors and flavors, with tender ribs, starchy potatoes, sweet carrots, and a clear broth. It’s a nutritious and delicious meal for young and old alike.

Sour Bamboo Shoot Soup with Fish

Northern Vietnamese often use fish heads (such as those from grass carp, common carp, or silver carp) to make this sour and flavorful soup. Clean the fish heads, removing any blood from the gills, and rub them with salt, lemon, or a mixture of rice wine and ginger to eliminate any fishy odor. Rinse well and marinate with a little salt.

Depending on your preference, you can pan-fry the fish heads first or leave them as they are. For a sweeter, fresher taste, there’s no need to fry them. A tip for making delicious and flavorful bamboo shoot soup is to blanch the bamboo shoots twice.

Start by sautéing dried shallots, then add the bamboo shoots and tomatoes, adjusting the seasoning to your taste. Transfer this mixture to a pot, add enough water for your meal (along with some bamboo shoot brine, if desired), and bring to a boil. Adjust the seasoning again, if necessary. When the soup is boiling vigorously, add the fish heads and simmer over medium heat until the fish is cooked to your liking. Finally, sprinkle with chopped spring onions, chopped celery, and chili, and serve hot.