Summer is over, now the cold weather is upon us! There is nothing better than to make a quick Vietnamese Kabocha Pumpkin with Pork Soup (Canh Bí Đỏ Thịt Bằm) for a busy weeknight dinner. What’s great about this recipe is it only needs a couple of ingredients and some typical pantry items. It’s a forgiving recipe where if you are missing a few pantry ingredients it still tastes great! Let’s take a look at how to make this amazingly easy recipe!
Kabocha pumpkin is commonly called kabocha squash.
Why make this?
Soup is a dish that is commonly made to accompany the main dishes and rice at many of the dinners we had growing up. It was nice to have a heartwarming soup to drink while eating dinner.
Vietnamese Kabocha Pumpkin with Pork Soup can be easily made in under 30 minutes. The best part is when you have your first spoonful of the soup it literally tastes like it was simmered for a long time and took hours to make.
Kabocha has so many health benefits and is packed with nutrients to help prevent diabetes, boost the immune system, treat inflammation and promote heart health.
What is Kabocha and what does it taste like?
Kabocha falls under the category of winter squash and is commonly associated with Japanese cuisine such as squash tempura. It is also called kabocha squash or Japanese pumpkin. It is quite common to find this squash at your local supermarket. Simply look for it in the potato or squash section.
It has a beautiful deep green color and is knobbly-looking on the outside. Surprisingly the skin is edible. The skin is left on but it does take longer to fully cook.
Kabocha has a rich orange color fresh and tastes quite sweet. When cooked it has a light and fluffy texture and I would describe it as similar to oriental sweet potatoes and pumpkin in taste.
Ingredients and variations
Kabocha squash: The squash is so sweet and is one of the two main ingredients in this recipe. It is difficult to make this dish with so few ingredients and still get such a heartwarming and warm soup. The silky and soft kabocha squash is hard to find an alternative. The closest alternative would be butternut squash or traditional pumpkin. Depending on the squash the time to cook it to soft will vary. For butternut squash cook for 15 minutes, the shape of the squash keeps its shape and doesn’t break down like kabocha squash.
Ground pork: Use the leanest cut of pork you can find. I ground my own pork using my meat grinder or food processor. Store-bought extra lean ground pork works great too if you are tight on time. An alternative is ground chicken or turkey.
My mother-in-law likes to use pork riblets for this as well, however, it does take longer to make. She uses the pork riblets to make a broth so she parboils and simmers it for up to an hour before adding the kabocha squash. The Pork riblets create an even sweeter soup base.
Water: Water is the easiest to use. Unsalted chicken broth works great too. Use store-bought or make your own.
Garlic and shallot: Gives a nice aromatic flavour to the soup.
Salt, sugar and fish sauce: The holy 3 flavors of Vietnamese seasoning. Adjust to your preference
Green onions and cilantro: Nice garnish that adds a nice flavour. This is optional but highly recommended
How do I make my Vietnamese Kabocha Pumpkin with Pork Soup?
Carefully peel the kabocha squash with a peeler and using a sharp knife cut them into 1 ½ inch chunks set aside.
Heat up the oil in a medium pot and add garlic and shallots. Let it stir-fry for 1-2 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Add the ground pork and break up the ground pork and cook for 4-5 minutes. What you are looking for is 90% cooked ground pork. Remove from the pot and set aside.
Add water and kabocha to the pot and turn the heat up to high. Lower the heat to medium once it gets a nice rolling boil. Let it simmer for 20 minutes. Add the salt, sugar, fish sauce and pork back in after and let it simmer for another 5-7 minutes.
Remove from heat and serve with your favorite dishes and a nice bowl of rice.
How to serve
Serve this will a bowl of rice and your favorite dish. I like to serve this with air fryer Vietnamese chicken wings, air fryer char siu pork chops or with bitter melon and eggs.
How to store
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up 3 days. It can also be frozen in the freezer for up to 1 month.
How to reheat
Heat this up in a pot for 8-10 minutes. When eating this the next day the kabocha squash becomes even more velvety and soft. Some of the squash will start to break down and create a more hearty broth. It is so delicious.
Recipe FAQs
Are there any ingredients that can be added to elevate this soup?
This recipe is a simple weeknight soup that can be made in 30 minutes. However, if you would like to elevate this soup without extra work I like to add dried scallops to this soup to add an umami flavour. Rehydrate in hot water for 20 minutes and add it in the same time as the kabocha squash.
Expert Tips
First I use my sharp clever to cut the squash down the middle. Then I like to use a metal peeler to peel the skin of the kabocha. It’s so hard and tough and I find my trusty metal peeler does an awesome job. It also prevents me from accidentally cutting myself since the kabocha squash is so tough. Once it is peeled I will cut the kabocha down and use a small knife to remove the seeds and all the stringy parts.
This recipe calls for the kabocha chunks to be cut into 1 ½ chunk, but if you want to cook this soup even quicker you can cut it into 1-inch chunks and simmer for 12-15 minutes depending on your stovetop.
Depending on how soft you would like the kabocha squash to be you can simmer it longer if you prefer a buttery velvety texture. If you would like some bite to simmer it less time. You can always use a fork to give it a poke and if it goes in nice and smooth like butter it is ready.
Did you make this lovely Vietnamese Kabocha Pumpkin with Pork Soup? I would love to hear from you! Leave a comment below
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Vietnamese Kabocha Pumpkin with Pork Soup (Canh Bí Đỏ Thịt Bằm)
Ingredients
- 1 lbs kabocha pumpkin cut into 1 ½-inch chunks
- ½ lbs ground pork extra lean
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced finely
- 1 shallot minced finely
- 2 green onion white part smashed
- 3½ cup water
- ½ tsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper
garnish
- green onion chopped
- cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium pot. Add the garlic and shallot and cook for 1 1/2 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Add ground pork and cook for 5-7 minutes. Break up the pork so it cooks into small pieces. Remove from the pot and set aside.
- Using the same medium pot add the water, kabocha and the white smashed green onions. Turn the heat to high and lower the heat to medium once it starts to boil. Let it cook on medium heat for 20 minutes.
- Add the cooked ground pork, fish sauce, salt and black pepper and let it simmer for 10 more minutes. Taste and adjust to your preference.
- Ladle into a bowl and garnish with green onions and cilantro. Serve with a bowl of rice and enjoy!