A soup that is refreshing is an essential part of the menu, helping to make meals more nutritious and diverse. Today, TasteVN will go to the kitchen to guide you on not just one but two recipes for clam soup with water spinach and cooking with loofah. Let’s get cooking!
1. Clam soup with water spinach
Preparation
15 minutes
Cooking
15 minutes
Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Clam Soup with Water Spinach For 2 people
Clams 350 gr Water spinach 500 gr Shallots A little Fish sauce 1 tablespoon Cooking oil 1 tablespoon Salt/pepper A little
How to choose fresh water spinach
- You should choose water spinach with small tops, looking slightly firm and having a natural green color, not too dark, without yellow or black spots, and the stems and leaves should not be bruised.
- When buying, you should snap the stem of the water spinach. If a thin sap comes out, then those bunches are still fresh, which will taste good and be safe.
- Avoid choosing bunches of water spinach that are dark green, with a shiny and smooth surface as they may have been treated with a lot of fertilizers during cultivation, which is unsafe for consumption.
How to make Clam Soup with Water Spinach
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Prepare the ingredients
After buying the clams, wash them thoroughly and then boil them. Once the clams are cooked, discard the shells and keep only the meat. Skim off the foam and retain the clam broth for the soup.
Remove the damaged leaves and roots from the water spinach, then wash it thoroughly and cut it into bite-sized pieces.
Next, peel the bulb of the shallot, wash it, and chop it finely.
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Cook the soup
Add 1 spoon of cooking oil to a pot, and when the oil is hot, add the chopped shallot and stir-fry until fragrant.
Then, add the clam meat and stir-fry briefly, seasoning with 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of ground pepper, and continue to stir-fry over medium heat.
When the clam meat is cooked, pour in the clam broth and bring it to a boil, then add the water spinach and boil again. You can taste and adjust the seasoning before turning off the heat and ladling into a bowl to serve with rice.
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Final product
A bowl of hot clam soup with water spinach, steaming, with a sweet and light broth, complemented by the chewy clam meat and crunchy water spinach. It will definitely make your family love it!
2. Clam soup with loofah
Preparation
3 hours
Processing
15 minutes
Difficulty level
Easy
Ingredients for Clam soup with loofah For 4 people
Clams 500 gr Loofah 4 fruits Ginger leaves 2 pieces Vietnamese coriander 2 sprigs Spring onion 1 sprig Garlic 3 cloves Chili 3 fruits Cooking oil 1 tablespoon Sugar/msg A little
How to choose fresh and delicious loofah
- Choose loofah that are medium-sized, feeling heavy in hand.
- Select those with fresh stems and skin without black spots.
- Avoid loofah that feel light, soft, have hollow interiors, cracked skins, or withered stems.
How to make Clam Soup with Loofah
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Prepare and boil the clams
Wash the clams thoroughly, soak them in rice water for about 3 to 4 hours.
Put the clams into a pot and add enough water to just cover the clams, adding a leaf of ginger. Place the pot on the stove, cover it, and bring to a boil for about 10 minutes until the clams open.
Then separate the clam meat from the shells. Keep the broth and discard the residue.
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Prepare the remaining ingredients
Peel the loofah, cut off the ends, and slice it into bite-sized pieces.
Wash the Vietnamese coriander and scallions, remove any damaged or wilted parts, and chop them finely.
Peel the garlic, crush it, and mince it. Remove the stems from the chili peppers and wash them.
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Cook the soup
Place a pot on the stove, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and sauté the garlic until fragrant. When the garlic is aromatic, add the clam meat, season with 1 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce, and stir-fry until the clams are firm, then add the broth.
Once it boils, add the loofah and cook for about 5 more minutes. Then turn off the heat, add the Vietnamese coriander and chopped green onions to finish.
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Final product
Scoop the soup into a bowl, add a few chili peppers to enhance the flavor of the dish. When enjoying, you will feel the unique combination of sweetness from the clams and loofah, alongside the aroma and spiciness from ginger and chili. I assure you that everyone will love it.
How to choose delicious clams
- Live clams usually have two tightly closed shells; when selecting, you should choose those with hard, firm shells that are difficult to pry open by hand.
- For those that are slightly open, you can touch them; if they close up or move, the clam is still fresh.
- Do not choose clams with broken shells or those that are easily pried open, and those that are open but do not react when touched.
How to clean clams from sand, without fishy smell
- You can soak clams in a bowl of ice water to make them release sand more quickly.
- You can soak clams in a bowl of saltwater with a bit of chili powder for about 3 hours to clean the sand.
- Additionally, soaking clams in saltwater with smashed ginger or rice water also helps clams quickly release sand and dirt.
With 2 recipes for cooking clam soup with water spinach and cooked gourd that are delicious and easy to make, TasteVN wishes you success in cooking these 2 soups to enjoy a warm meal with your family!
