Diếp thơm is a type of vegetable belonging to the Lettuce family. It is a short-day vegetable and is widely cultivated in our country.
Diếp thơm is a herbaceous plant with a cylindrical shape and branching at the top. The leaves grow alternately from the stem, with soft stems and long, broad, non-rolling leaf blades. The leaves also have a thin membrane and slight serrations on both edges. As the plant grows taller, the leaves become smaller and thinner.
What are the nutritional values of diếp thơm?
According to nutrition experts, diếp thơm is very good for children in the developmental stage, older people, and women in the premenopausal stage.
In addition, diếp thơm contains a lot of vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, as well as nutrients such as calcium, iron, and protein… It is a vegetable that is best eaten raw.
That is why diếp thơm is often used in delicious dishes such as salads, raw vegetables, or sandwiches. It can also be used to make soups, hot pots, and is very versatile…
Here are 4 health benefits of diếp thơm:
Diếp thơm helps cool down and lose weight: Thanks to its cooling and fire-reducing properties, diếp thơm is very suitable for consumption in the summer. Moreover, diếp thơm has a very low calorie content, with only 15 calories per 100 grams, even lower than tomatoes. 1kg of diếp thơm only contains 75 calories, making it ideal for weight loss.
Diếp thơm benefits vision: The large amount of zeaxanthin in diếp thơm is beneficial for improving eyesight by preventing macular degeneration. It also has good effects in preventing lung and oral cancer.
Raw diếp thơm contains a large amount of vitamin A and beta-carotene. So when people regularly eat diếp thơm, the vitamin A in the vegetable helps maintain healthy skin by promoting mucous membranes. In addition, it also helps maintain good eyesight.
Diếp thơm promotes reproductive health: Fresh diếp thơm contains folate and vitamin C. Folate helps maintain the health of the fetus during pregnancy by reducing the risk of complications. Meanwhile, vitamin C in diếp thơm improves the immune system and helps fight against infections.
Diếp thơm strengthens the musculoskeletal system: Diếp thơm contains a high amount of vitamin K, which has the ability to accumulate calcium and maximize the strength of bones, thus preventing osteoporosis.
How to cook diếp thơm, simple and delicious:
Quick chicken mushroom stir-fry with diếp thơm for dinner:
To avoid boredom and blandness from familiar dishes, you can quickly make a stir-fry of diếp thơm with chicken and mushrooms for dinner after a busy day.
Ingredients are very simple.
Ingredients:
500g diếp thơm
2 chicken thighs
5 dried shiitake mushrooms
3 garlic cloves
Seasonings: Chicken stock powder, cooking oil, oyster sauce
Instructions:
Step 1:
Rinse the diếp thơm, cut in half. Remove the chicken meat from the thighs and slice. Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms until soft, then slice.
Step 2:
Heat some cooking oil in a frying pan, fry the garlic until fragrant, then add the chicken and stir-fry until cooked. Add a little chicken stock powder and oyster sauce to enhance the flavor.
Step 3:
Add the sliced mushrooms and stir-fry.
The final result may not look extraordinary, but the taste is crispy, sweet, and aromatic.
Step 4:
Add the diếp thơm and stir-fry for about 2-3 minutes over high heat until cooked. Adjust the seasoning to taste, and it’s done.
Diếp thơm has a distinctive aroma and a crispy, sweet taste when stir-fried with chicken, creating a dish that is not only delicious but also aromatic.
Delicious minced meat and diếp thơm soup:
Ingredients:
500g diếp thơm
200g minced meat
2 tomatoes
Spring onion, cooking oil, salt, seasoning powder (chicken stock).
Instructions:
Step 1: Preparing the ingredients for minced meat and diếp thơm soup
Marinate the minced meat with 1 teaspoon of chicken stock powder for 15 minutes.
Split the diếp thơm into bunches, remove the yellowing leaves. Then wash and soak it in diluted saltwater for about 10-15 minutes to make it cleaner.
Rinse the tomatoes and cut them into wedges.
Wash the spring onions. Use the small part of the head to sauté until fragrant.
Step 2: Cooking the minced meat and diếp thơm soup
Heat a little cooking oil in a pan. When the oil is hot, add the spring onion (or shallots) and stir-fry. Then add the minced meat and sauté until the meat is evenly seasoned. When the meat is almost cooked, add a little salt and tomatoes. Stir-fry until the tomatoes soften. Add some water and bring to a boil. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
Once the soup starts to boil and the tomatoes are soft, add the diếp thơm and stir well. Since the vegetable cooks quickly, you only need to wait for the soup to boil and then turn off the heat (you can add a little seasoning powder before turning off the heat). Prepare a bowl and pour the soup in to enjoy.
Diếp thơm can be eaten raw. In addition, it can be used to make various dishes such as stir-fries, boiled dishes, steamed dishes, salads, soups, or as an accompaniment to hot pots or grilled meats.
Step 3: The finished product of the minced meat and diếp thơm soup
The finished dish, minced meat and diếp thơm soup, has a sweet and refreshing flavor. The green color of the diếp thơm and the red color of the tomatoes are very eye-catching. The diếp thơm still retains its crispness and freshness.
Now, with just a few simple ingredients, we can make a delicious and affordable soup for our family. We can also use the chicken broth or bone broth to make diếp thơm soup.
This soup is light, refreshing, and tasty.
You can try making various dishes from diếp thơm for your family’s daily meals.
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