Vietnamese beet soup

Canh củ dền — Vietnamese beet soup — is the most beautiful bowl in the canh family: pork ribs simmered with beet wedges until the broth turns ruby-red and gently sweet, finished with fish sauce and a shower of fresh herbs.

It is everything Vietnamese home cooking does best: few ingredients, clear technique, and a broth that tastes like far more work than it took. The blanching step for the ribs is the secret to that jewel-clear liquid.

Serve it the Vietnamese way — alongside steamed rice as part of a shared meal — or on its own as a light, restorative dinner. Cilantro is classic; dill is the northern twist worth trying.

Canh Củ Dền Recipe

Prep time: 20 minutes · Cook time: about 1 hour 15 minutes · Total: about 1½ hours · Servings: 4 · Calories: ~283 per serving

Ingredients

• 1 pound pork spare ribs, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 medium beets, peeled and cut into wedges
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 cups water
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Fresh cilantro or dill, for garnish

Instructions

1. Blanch the ribs: boil them 2 to 3 minutes, then drain and rinse — this keeps the broth clear.
2. Combine the ribs, beets, onion, garlic and water in a clean pot and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce to low and simmer about 1 hour, until the pork is tender and the beets cooked through.
4. Stir in the fish sauce and sugar, season with salt and pepper, and simmer 10 minutes more.
5. Rest a few minutes off the heat, then serve hot, garnished generously with cilantro or dill.

Recipe Notes

• Ribs with a little fat make a rounder broth.
• Gloves while cutting beets, unless pink hands are the look you wanted.
• Gentle simmering only — a hard boil clouds the broth you worked to clarify.
• Steamed white rice alongside completes the meal.