Canh Khoai Mỡ (Vietnamese Purple Yam Soup)

Ingredients

• 24 oz purple yam
• cooking oil
• 1 tablespoon finely minced shallots
• 5 oz ground pork
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• 5 cups water ((or stock such as pork broth, shrimp stock))
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce ((to taste))
• 2 oz peeled and deveined shrimp, chopped into small pieces
• fresh herbs for garnish: chopped cilantro, scallion and saw-tooth leaves

Steps

1. 1

   Peel the yam. Grate about half to create starch for a smooth broth, and roughly chop the rest into medium sized chunks for texture.

2. 2

   In a pot, heat some cooking oil over medium heat and sauté the minced shallots until fragrant (about 2–3 minutes).

3. 3

   Add the ground pork and sauté briefly then add the salt. Continue to stir and cook until no longer pink on the outside.

4. 4

   Add the water to the pot and bring it to a boil. Then add all of the yam. Let the liquid come back to a simmer and skim off all the foam.

5. 5

   Continue to simmer over medium heat until the yam is tender to your liking and the soup turns purple, about 15 minutes. Give the soup a stir every now and then to prevent sticking. Add fish sauce and adjust seasonings to taste.

6. 6

   Stir in the chopped shrimp. Once the shrimp is cooked through (which is very quick), turn off the heat and transfer the soup to serving bowls.

7. 7

   Sprinkle fresh herbs and serve hot.