Water spinach is a common vegetable that is easy to find for rural people. This type of vegetable, when combined with many other ingredients, will create extremely delicious and refreshing dishes. Today, let’s get into the kitchen with TasteVN to see 2 soups made from water spinach, including sour water spinach soup and water spinach soup with clams!
1. Sour water spinach soup
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Preparation
20 minutes
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Cooking time
20 minutes
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Difficulty level
Easy
Ingredients for Sour water spinach soup Serves 4
Salmon head 1 piece (about 600g) Water spinach 200 g Lotus stem 200 g Tomato 3 pieces Tamarind 50 g Basil leaves a little Chili 1 piece Garlic 4 cloves Cooking oil 2 tablespoons Vinegar a little Common seasoning a little (seasoning/ salt/ sugar)
How to choose fresh and delicious ingredients
How to choose fresh salmon
- It is advisable to choose the salmon head for a sweeter and tastier sour soup.
- Select heads that have shiny silver skin, without tears or scratches.
- The flesh of the fish should be light pink, not watery when touched, and have good elasticity.
- The fish’s eyes should be clear, not bulging, drooping, or leaking yellow fluid.
How to choose fresh and delicious lotus flowers
- You should choose freshly picked lotus flowers as they will retain a certain freshness and crispness.
- Choose lotus stems with flowers at the top as they will taste better than those with leaves.
- The lotus flowers should have fresh colors, not wilted or bruised.
How to choose fresh and delicious tomatoes
- Choose tomatoes with bright red skin, even color, smooth texture, and no scratches.
- Tomatoes should have a natural fragrance, with fresh stems that are not wilted and tightly attached to the body.
- Avoid buying tomatoes that have small, evenly spaced spots; when cut in half, the seeds should be green, and the flesh should be light pink. These are fruits that are artificially ripened and lack natural sweetness.
How to make sour water spinach soup
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Prepare salmon
Rub the head of the salmon with a mixture of salt and vinegar. Then, use a knife to clean the scales and cut the fish into bite-sized pieces.
How to clean salmon effectively- Remove the gills and belly of the salmon, and cut into bite-sized pieces.
- After cleaning the fins, soak the head of the salmon in a basin of water mixed with salt and lemon juice. Use your hands to rub the head to remove the slime.
- Finally, rinse thoroughly with water 2 – 3 times and let it drain.
See details: How to clean salmon effectively
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Prepare the other ingredients
Peel the water spinach, remove the skin from the lotus flower, cut into bite-sized pieces, and wash thoroughly.
Wash the tomatoes, cut them into wedges. Wash the basil leaves and chili peppers, then chop them finely.
Place tamarind in a bowl with 100ml of hot water, stir well, and strain to extract the juice.
Peel the garlic, mince it, and fry it in a pan with 2 tablespoons of cooking oil until fragrant.
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Cook the soup
Place a pot of water on the stove, add the tamarind juice and stir well, then bring to a boil over high heat.
Add 1 tablespoon of seasoning, 1 tablespoon of salt, and 3 tablespoons of sugar, then add the fish heads and boil for about 2 – 3 minutes over medium heat before adding the tomatoes and removing the fish to a bowl.
Next, add the lotus flowers and water spinach, and bring to a boil again.
Then add the salmon back into the pot, add a little herbs, chopped chili, season to taste, and then turn off the heat.
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Final product
Thus, the delicious and flavorful sour water spinach soup has been completed. The salmon is just cooked, not broken, with soft and fatty fish meat, and the crispy delicious vegetables blend with the sour and spicy soup, which is extremely attractive.
2. Sour water spinach soup with clams
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Preparation
20 minutes
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Cooking
20 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Sour water spinach soup with clams For 2 people
Clams 1 kg (clams) Water spinach 200 gr Shallots 4 bulbs Chili 3 fruits Chili powder 1 teaspoon Fish sauce 1 tablespoon Cooking oil 2 tablespoons Common seasoning a little (salt/ seasoning powder/ monosodium glutamate/ pepper)
How to choose fresh and delicious clams
- Choose those with hard shells, tightly closed mouths, and feel heavy in hand.
- For clams that are slightly open, touch their mouths; if they close when you touch them, they are still alive.
- If the clam has a foul smell, feels very light, and the mouth opens easily when you touch it, it is dead and should not be purchased.
How to prepare Water Spinach Soup with Clams
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Prepare and boil the clams
Remove any dead clams after purchasing, soak them in water for about 2 hours to clean the sand, then rinse several times with water.
Put the clams into a pot and boil until they open and are cooked through, then turn off the heat, take the clams out into a bowl, let them cool, and extract the meat inside, reserving the cooking water.
How to clean clams of sand- Method 1: Soak clams in a basin of water mixed with rice water and ice, which will help them release sand quickly.
- Method 2: Soak clams in water with a few slices of chili for 3 hours, then rinse them clean with water.
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Prepare the other ingredients
Remove the fibers from the sweet potato leaves, wash them clean, and cut them into bite-sized pieces.
Peel the chili and shallots, then crush them.
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Marinate the clams
Add to the clam meat: 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 1 teaspoon of chili powder, 1 teaspoon of MSG, 1/3 teaspoon of pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of seasoning powder, mix well, and marinate for 10 minutes to let the clams absorb the seasoning.
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Cook the soup
Place a pot on the stove with 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. When the oil is hot, add the crushed chili and shallots, and sauté until fragrant.
Next, add the marinated clam meat and stir-fry until it is firm, then add the clam broth.
When the water boils, add the sweet potato leaves, stir well for about 1 minute. Adjust the seasoning to taste and then turn off the heat.
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Final Product
The finished water spinach soup with clams has a distinct aroma that spreads. The clams are fatty, and the water spinach is crunchy and chewy, harmoniously combined with the deliciously sweet and rich broth, making it incredibly appealing!
How to choose fresh and delicious water spinach
- Choose water spinach with stems of moderate size, bright green color, small leaves, and plenty of tips.
- Select crispy stems that feel firm to the touch, with smooth skin, as they are the tender parts that will be soft when eaten.
- Avoid buying stems that are too dark or too light in color, with large and soft parts.
- Avoid selecting stems with too many leaves, leaves that are darkened, insect-bitten, or spoiled.
Above are 2 ways to cook water spinach soup that are delicious and refreshing with extremely simple recipes. What are you waiting for? Let’s head to the kitchen with TasteVN right now!
*Refer to the images and recipes from 2 YouTube channels: Gia Đình Vui Vẻ của Tâm Tâm and CTN FOODS
