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Prep 5 minutesmins
Cook 10 minutesmins
Total 15 minutesmins
Let’s make everyone’s favorite canh in under 20 minutes! Canh mong toi, or Vietnamese spinach soup, features tender Malabar spinach and juicy shrimp in a simple yet deeply comforting broth.
Growing up, whenever my mom felt I wasn’t eating enough veggies, she would make canh mong toi. This light, comforting Vietnamese spinach soup is made with tender and silky malabar spinach and ground shrimp meatballs that add natural sweetness and flavor to the broth. Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice on top, and this soup comes together in under 20 minutes.
Canh mong toi is a Vietnamese home-cooking soup made with malabar spinach. It has a light, savory broth and is made with ground shrimp balls. The malabar spinach has a mild, earthy flavor that softens and creates a naturally silky, slippery texture when cooked. It also has a thickening agent that gives the broth a subtly thicker consistency.
In Vietnamese, “canh” means soup and “mong toi” means malabar spinach. Canh refers to a simple soup typically served as part of a Vietnamese family-style everyday meal with steamed white rice and other protein and vegetable dishes. This soup is typically served for lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
You can find all the ingredients for this canh mong toi recipe at your local Vietnamese grocery market. Full measurements and links to everything I used are in the recipe card below.
Malabar Spinach: is a leafy green that grows on a tropical vine. It is the main flavor profile of the soup. It also gives the broth its thicker, silky texture.
Water: the base of the soup.
Fish Sauce: adds a funky umami finish.
Chicken Bouillon Powder: the main seasoning ingredient that makes the soup so comforting.
Shrimp: the main source of protein in this soup. It also adds sweetness to the broth as it cooks.
Green Onion: to add aromatics and sweetness to the shrimp balls.
Salt and Pepper: to season the shrimp balls
Substitutions and Additions
Substitutions
Protein: ground pork, pork back ribs, ground beef or pork, or crab.
Chicken broth: use fresh chicken broth instead of chicken bouillon powder
Additions
Onions or garlic: for more aromatic flavors in the soup.
Heat: Thai bird’s eye chili for added heat.
How to Make
Here are the step-by-step instructions for how to make this canh mong toi recipe.
Bring a pot of water to a boil.
Grind shrimp in a food processor and mix in the green onion, and seasonings.
Scoop the shrimp paste with a spoon into balls and add to the simmering water. Cook until they turn pink and opaque about 1-2 minutes.
Lastly, add spinach fish sauce and chicken bouillon powder and bring to a boil or until the spinach has wilted, about 2-3 minutes.
Once the spinach has wilted, serve immediately. Finish with a wedge of lime juice.
Expert Tips
Grind the shrimp: with a food processor until it forms a coarse paste. This will allow the shrimp to form into meatballs and give them a nice springy texture.
Cut off the woody stems. Discard any thick, larger stems. They can be thick and fibrous.
Slice thinly. This will make the soup easier to eat and creates the deliciously soft, silky texture in the soup.
Add the malabar spinach last. This will avoid overcooking it and making it too soft.
Season to taste: once the greens and shrimp have been incorporated, taste and adjust the broth with more fish sauce or chicken bouillon.
Storage Instructions
You can store any leftover canh mong toi in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheat: Heat the Vietnamese spinach soup in a small pot over medium-high heat until hot. Or microwave covered until hot.
Freeze: You can freeze the cooled, room-temperature soup in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat and serve.
Pairing Suggestions
Canh mong toi can be served with a bowl of steamed white rice or with the following pairing suggestions.
This leafy green is called Malabar spinach in English. It is not a traditional spinach. It has thick, succulent heart-shaped leaves that grow on a vine.
Why is the malabar spinach slimy?
The Vietnamese spinach contains mucilage, which becomes tender, silky, almost slimy when cooked.
What other protein can I use?
Shrimp is the most popular choice. However, you can alternatively use pork back ribs, ground beef, ground pork, crab, or any other protein of your choice.
Let’s make everyone’s favorite canh in under 20 minutes! Canh mong toi, or Vietnamese spinach soup, features tender Malabar spinach and juicy shrimp in a simple yet deeply comforting broth.
Boil water. Bring a pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat.
Make shrimp balls. Grind shrimp in a food processor and mix in the green onion, salt, black pepper, and chicken powder
Cook the shrimp. Scoop the shrimp paste into balls and add to the simmering water. Cook until they float and turn pink and opaque, about 1-2 minutes.
Add spinach and seasonings. Lastly, add spinach, fish sauce, and chicken bouillon powder, and bring to a boil or until the spinach has wilted, about 2-3 minutes.
Serve. Once the spinach has wilted, serve immediately. Finish with a wedge of lime juice and serve with steamed white rice.
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