Snail soup cooked with perilla leaves and spicy snail soup are simple, rustic dishes, but their flavors are incredibly delicious. Today, let’s join TasteVN into the kitchen and immediately make these 2 delicious soups for the family to enjoy!
1. Snail soup cooked with perilla leaves
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Preparation
15 minutes
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Cooking time
40 minutes
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Difficulty level
Easy
Ingredients for Snail soup cooked with perilla leaves For 4 people
Pond snails 300 gr Tomato 1 piece Fried tofu 2 pieces Perilla leaves 50 gr Cooking oil 1 tablespoon Garlic 5 gr (minced) Chili pepper 5 gr (chopped) Water 50 ml Fermented rice water 1 tablespoon Seasoning a little (sugar; monosodium glutamate; seasoning powder)
How to choose fresh, delicious ingredients
How to choose good tofu
- You can buy tofu at the market or supermarket, or even make it at home for safety.
- When buying tofu, you should choose pieces that are white, as tofu that is darker yellow indicates the use of more gypsum, which is not good for health. Tofu should look smooth, feel soft to the touch, and have the characteristic aroma of soybeans.
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How to choose good tomatoes
- You should choose tomatoes with smooth skin, plump, juicy, bright red color, and still have green stems.
- Avoid choosing fruits that are bruised or have small black spots, and those with uneven colors of both green and red.
- If you touch them and they feel too soft or too hard, or if juice flows out, you should not buy them, as they may have gone bad.
How to make Snail Soup with Perilla Leaves
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Prepare the ingredients
After purchasing the prepared snails, you need to rub them with salt to clean them and then rinse 3 – 4 times.
Fried tofu should be rinsed briefly with water to remove dust, then cut into bite-sized pieces.
Tip:
You can buy prepared snails or whole snails to make the dish. If you use whole snails, soak them in diluted saltwater with a few crushed chili peppers before cooking to help them expel the mud.
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Prepare the vegetables
Wash the tomatoes and cut them into wedges.
Pick the yellow leaves off the perilla, wash them clean with water, drain, and then cut into strips.
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Marinate the snails
Marinate the snails with 1 teaspoon of seasoning, 1 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate. Mix well and marinate the snails for about 30 minutes to let the flavors penetrate the meat.
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Stir-fry the snails
Place a pot on the stove, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and heat it up, then add 5g minced garlic and 5g chopped chili and sauté until fragrant.
When the garlic and chili become aromatic, add the marinated snails into the pot and stir-fry on medium heat until the snails are cooked and firm, then add 1 tablespoon of turmeric powder to the pot and stir well.
Tip: Stir-fry the snails completely until cooked and firm so that they do not have a fishy smell when cooked.
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Cook the soup
Add 50ml of filtered water to the pot and bring it to a boil again. Then add 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 tablespoon of fermented rice water, tomato wedges, perilla leaves, and tofu to the pot, stir well and continue to cook until it boils again to finish.
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Final Product
The snail soup cooked with perilla leaves, when completed, has an appealing color and aroma. The broth is sour and refreshing, and the snail meat is crunchy and sweet without any fishy taste. This dish served hot with rice will be wonderful!
2. Spicy Snail Soup
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Preparation
4 hours
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Cooking
40 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Spicy Snail Soup For 4 people
Snails 500 gr Perilla leaves 30 gr Piper lolot leaves 30 gr Garlic 10 gr Lemongrass 10 gr Chili peppers 5 gr Seasoning powder 1/2 tablespoon Fish sauce 1 tablespoon Rice vinegar 3 tablespoons Cooking oil 1 tablespoon Turmeric powder 1 tablespoon Chili powder 1/2 tablespoon Common spices a little (sugar/salt/pepper/MSG/seasoning powder)
Ingredient Image
How to Make Spicy Snail Soup
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Prepare the Snails
After purchasing the snails, you should crush the shells (the bottom part) of the snails, then soak the snails in rice washing water or cold water with a few slices of chili overnight or at least for 3 – 4 hours to let the snails release all the dirt, rinse them several times, drain the water, and clean the snails. After that, use a knife to crush the shells (the bottom part) of the snails.
Tip: Salt and white wine effectively help to eliminate the fishy smell and mucus of the snails.
Pick the young leaves of perilla and piper lolot, wash them thoroughly.
Peel and slice the garlic. Crush the lemongrass.
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Sauté the spices
Put a pot on the stove, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and wait for it to heat up, then add 10g of sliced garlic, 10g of smashed lemongrass, and 5g of whole chili peppers into the pot and sauté until fragrant.
When the lemongrass, garlic, and chili peppers become aromatic, add 1 tablespoon of turmeric powder and 1/2 tablespoon of chili powder to the pot and stir well.
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Cook the snail soup
Next, add 500ml of filtered water into the pot. Then add 1/2 tablespoon of seasoning powder, 1/2 tablespoon of sugar, 1 tablespoon of seasoning granules, and 1/3 tablespoon of ground pepper, and stir well.
Then add the cleaned apple snails into the pot and cook until the broth boils. Next, add 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 1/2 tablespoon of monosodium glutamate, and 3 tablespoons of fermented rice vinegar, stirring well for about 1 minute.
Tip: Adding a little fermented rice vinegar to the soup will help reduce the fishy taste of the snails.
Then, add the betel leaves and perilla leaves, cover the pot, and cook for another 5 minutes for the snails to be cooked and absorb the flavors.
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Final Product
The spicy snail soup after completion has a fragrant aroma of lemongrass, Vietnamese balm leaves, and perilla combined with the sweet, chewy, and crunchy taste of the pond snails, the sour and spicy broth from fermented rice and chili, once you taste it, you’ll be hooked.
How to choose delicious apple snails
- For apple snails with shells: You should choose live snails by gently touching the snail’s operculum with your hand. If the snail closes its operculum tightly, it is still alive. At the same time, choose snails that are medium-sized and have operculums that are close to the outer edge of the shell, indicating that the snails are plump and tasty. The snails should not have a foul or unpleasant smell.
- For apple snails that have been already shelled: Choose snails with a new expiration date (when buying at the supermarket), the meat should be firm, not watery and slimy, and should not have a foul smell.
How to clean snails to reduce slime
For whole apple snails
- Method 1: Soak the apple snails overnight in rice water with a little chopped chili added.
- Method 2: Soak the snails in a basin of water with metal items like forks, knives, etc., for about 2 hours to allow the snails to expel the dirt.
- Method 3: Soak the snails in a mixture of water containing vinegar, lemon, and chili.
- After soaking, use a knife to cut off the end of the snail, then use the knife to pry open the snail’s mouth and soak it in diluted lime water for 15 minutes, then scoop out the snail meat and remove the black intestines and snail waste.
- Massage the snail meat with salt and vinegar to reduce slime, then wash it clean, chop it finely, and add minced onion and garlic for marinating.
For shelled apple snails
- Method 1: Massage with coarse salt and rinse with clean water.
- Method 2: Massage with vinegar (or lemon) and rinse with water.
- Method 3: Massage with coarse salt and vinegar, then rinse with water.
How to choose fresh, delicious perilla leaves
- Choose plants with smooth leaves, not bruised or with black spots, rotten, and the leaves should not be wilted or yellowing.
- Perilla usually has 2 types. The type with flat-edged leaves, light purple color, and less fragrant. The type with curly-edged leaves, dark purple color, and strong fragrance. For this dish, you should use the second type for a more aromatic final product.
- It’s best to go to the market or supermarket early to select fresh green perilla plants.
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*Refer to images and recipes from 2 YouTube channels: TasteShare and <a href="https://bit.ly/3mBYB
