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
- Blanch the ribs: boil them 2 to 3 minutes, then drain and rinse — this keeps the broth clear.
- Combine the ribs, beets, onion, garlic and water in a clean pot and bring to a boil.
- Reduce to low and simmer about 1 hour, until the pork is tender and the beets cooked through.
- Stir in the fish sauce and sugar, season with salt and pepper, and simmer 10 minutes more.
- 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.
