Canh Mong Toi (Vietnamese Spinach Soup)

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.

Course Dinner, Soup

Cuisine Vietnamese

Keyword canh mong toi recipe, rau mong toi, Vietnamese spinach soup

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total Time 15

Servings servings

Calories 77kcal

Author Megan

Equipment

Ingredients

Soup

1 lb malabar spinach thick woody stems removed, leaves sliced thinly
8 cups water
1 tablespoon fish sauce or more to taste
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder

Shrimp

½ lb shrimp peeled, deveined and ground
2 stalks green onion minced
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon chicken bouillon powder

Garnish

Lime wedges optional

Instructions

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.

Notes

See the Expert Tips for more guidance.

Nutrition