-
Preparation
10 minutes
-
Cooking
10 minutes
-
Difficulty
Easy
Water spinach is a familiar, simple vegetable that frequently appears in Vietnamese family meals. Today, TasteVN introduces you to a delicious soup which is sour water spinach soup with dried shrimp. Let’s get cooking now!
Ingredients for Sour Soup with Dried Shrimp and Water Spinach For 2 people
Dried shrimp 10 gr Water spinach 200 gr Ripe tamarind 50 gr Tomatoes 2 pieces Red onion 1 bulb Vietnamese coriander 2 sprigs Cooking oil 1 tablespoon Common seasonings a little (salt/ sugar/ seasoning powder/ monosodium glutamate)
How to choose fresh ingredients
How to choose good dried shrimp
- Good dried shrimp will look bright, fresh, dry, and firm.
- Avoid buying if you see brown spots, signs of mold, or smell a foul odor.
- To ensure freshness and safety, you can make dried shrimp at home following TasteVN’s instructions.
How to choose fresh and delicious water spinach
- Fresh water spinach has a light green color, stems about the size of chopsticks, and small, slightly stiff tips. If you break off the tip and see a thin sap flowing out, it means the water spinach is fresh and just harvested.
- Avoid choosing water spinach that has a dark green color, thin stems, and feels hard when broken; this is old water spinach that is very bitter and tough.
- In addition, do not buy wilted, yellowing, or spotted water spinach.
How to choose fresh and delicious tomatoes
- Good tomatoes have a firm, plump skin that is shiny, bright red, and evenly colored. When you press on the tomato, it should have a certain firmness.
- When you cut the tomato in half, if the seeds inside are yellow and the flesh is bright red, it means the tomato is ripe and delicious.
- You should choose tomatoes that still have fresh green stems firmly attached to the top; these are fresh tomatoes, just harvested.
- Additionally, tree-ripened tomatoes will have a characteristic faint fragrance, while artificially ripened tomatoes will not have any smell.
How to make Sour Shrimp Soup with Water Spinach
-
Prepare the ingredients
Remove the tough stems from the water spinach, pluck off the large leaves, leaving only a few tender leaves at the top, then wash thoroughly, and cut into pieces approximately 2 finger lengths, and let it drain.
Wash the tomatoes, and cut them into wedges. Peel the shallots, and rinse them with water. Wash the rice paddy herb, and chop it finely.
Put tamarind in a bowl with 100ml of water, use a fork to mash it, then strain to get the tamarind juice.
Rinse the dried shrimp, then place them in a bowl of warm water for about 10 minutes. Once the shrimp are soft, take them out and rinse again.
Next, put the dried shrimp and shallots into a mortar and pound them into a paste.
-
Sauté the ingredients
Place a pot on the stove, heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, then add the pounded shrimp and shallots, and sauté until fragrant. Next, add the tomatoes, stir well for about 1 minute.
-
Cooking the soup
When the tomatoes are slightly soft and have released red juice, pour in 1 liter of water and the tamarind juice, stir well. Bring the water back to a boil, then season with 1 tablespoon of sugar, 2 teaspoons of seasoning powder, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate.
Stir until the seasonings dissolve completely, then add the water spinach, cook for an additional 3 minutes until the water spinach is soft, taste and adjust the seasoning as needed, sprinkle with coriander, stir once more and turn off the stove.
-
Final product
Sour shrimp soup with water spinach has crispy water spinach, soft tomatoes, chewy dried shrimp, with a faint aroma of coriander, all blended in a sour and sweet broth, refreshing.
This unique and flavorful soup is very suitable as a main dish in daily meals, making them more appealing.
See more:
Above, TasteVN introduces you to making sour shrimp water spinach soup with a sweet and sour, refreshing, and appealing taste. Wishing you success!
