-
Preparation
20 minutes
-
Processing
15 minutes
-
Difficulty
Easy
Soup is an essential part of family meals, a delicious soup will enhance the flavor and make the meal more enjoyable. Today, the In the Kitchen section of TasteVN will guide you on how to cook simple sponge gourd soup with dried shrimp. Let’s get cooking!
Ingredients for Sponge Gourd Soup with Dried Shrimp Serves 3
Dried vegetables 200 gr Aromatic sponge gourd 1 piece Dried shrimp 50 gr Seasoning powder 2 teaspoons MSG 1/2 teaspoon
How to choose fresh ingredients
How to choose fresh loofah
- Good loofah will feel heavy when you hold it, and you will notice that the stem is still fresh and there are no black spots on the skin.
- Avoid buying loofahs that are light when you pick them up, as these are hollow and spongy inside, which will reduce the quality of the dish.
- You should not buy loofahs that feel soft when held, have scratched skin, and withered stems. These may be loofahs that have been stored too long or have spoiled during transportation.
How to choose fresh jute leaves
- When buying, you should choose tender jute leaves with many shoots, as they will be very fragrant and delicious when cooked.
- Buy jute leaves at reputable stores or supermarkets to ensure safety when using.
- Avoid buying jute leaves with too large or long stems, as the leaves will be old. When cooking soup, they will not be fragrant and tasty.
How to choose fresh dried shrimp
- Good dried shrimp are usually sun-dried land shrimp, so they have a natural pink-red color. You should choose dried shrimp that have a brick-red color, firm meat, and no strong odor.
- Avoid buying shrimp that are pale or dark red, as these are not land shrimp or have been dyed, which can be very harmful to your health.
How to prepare Squash Soup with Malabar Spinach and Dried Shrimp
-
Prepare the ingredients
Pick out the damaged and bruised parts of the Malabar spinach. Then wash it thoroughly and chop it into small pieces.
The fragrant squash should be peeled, washed clean, and cut into short, bite-sized pieces, about the thickness of a finger joint.
Soak the dried shrimp in warm water for about 15 minutes to soften, then drain.
-
Cook the soup
Add the dried shrimp into a pot along with 600ml of water and bring to a boil on the stove over medium heat for about 5 minutes to extract the sweetness from the shrimp.
Once the water is boiling, add the prepared Malabar spinach and fragrant squash, and cook for another 5 minutes until the soup boils again. Then season with: 2 teaspoons of seasoning, and 1/2 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate. Stir well for about 1 minute to dissolve all the seasoning, then taste and adjust for flavor before turning off the heat, and it’s done.
-
Finished Product
Bowl of gourd and malabar spinach soup with dried shrimp smelling wonderful like this, when eaten with a bowl of white rice, is unbeatable!
The broth is sweet from the dried shrimp, blended with the fresh green malabar spinach and gourd, will delight the diners.
See more
So you now know the recipe for making water spinach loofah soup with dried shrimp that is extremely simple yet wonderfully refreshing for your family! Wishing you success in your cooking.
