Vietnamese Kabocha Squash Soup with Chicken (Canh Bi Do Nau Ga)
A light and delicious kabocha squash and chicken soup. It’s perfect on its own or served with steamed rice for a traditional family-style meal.
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 green onions
- 1 1/2 quarts water
- 1 lb chicken thighs
- 1 small kabocha squash (about 1 lb)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Peel and finely chop the garlic. Thinly slice the green onions, separating the white and green parts. Peel the kabocha if you prefer, then scoop out the seeds and fibers and cut it into 1.5-inch chunks. Slice the chicken into 1.5-inch chunks as well. Set everything aside.
- Add vegetable oil to the bottom of a heavy-bottom small pot. Heat on medium-low. Add garlic and whites of green onions. Stir until fragrant (about 10 seconds).
- Add chicken and kabocha squash and toss in aromatics for 5 seconds. Season chicken with half of salt, fish sauce, chicken bouillon powder and ground black pepper. Toss to evenly mix with seasonings and lightly pan fry for 2 minutes.
- Add water and crank up the heat to bring it to a boil quickly (about 9 minutes) then reduce heat to a medium simmer. Cook for 10 minutes. If using boneless chicken, reduce cook time for about 6 minutes instead. Occasionally skim off the foam/impurities that rise to the top.
- Season soup with rest of salt, fish sauce, chicken bouillon powder and ground black pepper. Taste and adjust if needed. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the remaining green onions and an optional sprinkle of ground black pepper.
Elements 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 3 garlic cloves 2 green onions 1 1/2 quarts water 1 lb chicken thighs 1 small kabocha squash (about 1 lb) 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt 2 teaspoons fish sauce 1 1/2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper Method Peel and finely chop the garlic. Thinly slice the green onions, separating the white and green parts.
Peel the kabocha if you prefer, then scoop out the seeds and fibers and cut it into 1.5-inch chunks. Slice the chicken into 1.5-inch chunks as well.
Add vegetable oil to the bottom of a heavy-bottom small pot. Add chicken and kabocha squash and toss in aromatics for 5 seconds.
Season chicken with half of salt, fish sauce, chicken bouillon powder and ground black pepper. Toss to evenly mix with seasonings and lightly pan fry for 2 minutes. Add water and crank up the heat to bring it to a boil quickly (about 9 minutes) then reduce heat to a medium simmer.
If using boneless chicken, reduce cook time for about 6 minutes instead. Occasionally skim off the foam/impurities that rise to the top.
Season soup with rest of salt, fish sauce, chicken bouillon powder and ground black pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the remaining green onions and an optional sprinkle of ground black pepper.