Vietnamese opo squash soup, also known as canh bầu, is a comforting soup that is filled with chock full of vitamins and minerals. It's a light soup that is enjoyed during any season of the year.
Growing up, my grandmother grew opo squash in our backyard year round. It’s quite a memorable experience because these giant oblong shapes grow vertically. At our house, they hung from our backyard cabana and sometimes grew over 2.5 ft!
What is opo squash?
Similar to zucchini, its light flavor and texture makes it great for soups and stir fry. Because it was always available to us, my family ate Canh Bầu (opo squash soup) a of couple times a week. There are many variations of opo squash soup that use different types of proteins. It's most commonly cooked with shrimp, but I've personally grown accustom to making it with tofu. In this recipe, I’m sharing with you a (mostly) vegetarian version that I consistently make at home when I'm craving comfort foods. This particular canh bầu recipe is easy, quick, gluten free, and can be easily subbed with ingredients to make it vegan/vegetarian friendly!
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups of opo squash
- 2 cups of daikon radish
- 5 cups of water
- ½ block of tofu
- 3 tbsp of fish sauce (if vegetarian/vegan, substitute with 4tbsp soy sauce or vegetarian fish sauce)
- white pepper
Directions
- Boil 5 cup of water in a pot.
- Peel and dice opo and squash into half moons. ⅓ inch thickness is my preference, but you can cut it into any shape or size you’d like. The thinner you cut the veggies, the quicker it will be to cook the soup. Cut tofu into ½ inch cubes.
- Add fish sauce to the boiling pot of water. Follow by adding all of the opo, daikon, and tofu.
- Allow the soup to boil for about 12 minutes, then bring it down to a simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Check the opo and daikon for tenderness. They’re fully cooked once they’re tender and look translucent.
- Serve the soup and sprinkle a bit of white pepper on top. Soup pairs well with rice and sauteed veggies/proteins. Enjoy!
Vietnamese Canh Bầu (Opo Squash Soup with Daikon and Tofu)
Ingredients
- 2 cups opo squash peeled and diced
- 2 cups daikon radish peeled and diced
- 5 cups water
- 8 oz medium firm tofu approximately ½ of a block of packaged tofu
- 3 tbsp fish sauce Sub fish sauce for vegetarian fish sauce or soy sauce to make this dish vegetarian friendly
- white pepper seasoned to taste
Instructions
- Boil 5 cup of water in a pot.
- Peel and dice opo and squash into half moons. ⅓ inch thickness is my preference, but you can cut it into any shape or size you’d like. The thinner you cut the veggies, the quicker it will be to cook the soup. Cut tofu into ½ inch cubes.
- Add fish sauce to the boiling pot of water. Follow by adding all of the opo, daikon, and tofu.
- Allow the soup to boil for about 12 minutes, then bring it down to a simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Check the opo and daikon for tenderness. They’re fully cooked once they’re tender and look translucent.
- Serve the soup and sprinkle a bit of white pepper on top. Soup pairs well with rice and sautéed veggies/proteins. Enjoy!
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