Vietnamese
Gluten freeCanh bóng (Hanoi puffed pork skin soup)
Clear pork broth with spongy puffed pork skin, pork meatballs, prawns and colourful winter vegetables
Canh bóng is the showpiece soup of the Hanoi Tết feast tray: a clear pork bone broth full of colour, with carrot flowers, cauliflower, snow peas and mushrooms floating beside pork meatballs, prawns and bóng bì, the puffed dried pork skin that soaks up broth like a sponge. Its many ingredients stand for abundance, and its clarity for a clean start to the year. It is light yet deeply savoury, served with rice and the rest of the feast. Buy bóng bì ready-puffed in packets from Vietnamese grocers. Chef's tip: soak and squeeze the pork skin in warm ginger water twice; it removes the frying oil so the broth stays sparkling.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Serves
- 6
- Per serving
- 280 kcal
Ingredients
For the broth
- 1 ¾ lb pork bonesrinsed
- 2.5 litres water
- 1 onionhalved and charred in a dry pan
- 3 tbsp fish saucesplit
For the meatballs
- 10 ½ oz pork mince
- 1 shallotfinely chopped
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
For the soup
- 1 oz fresh gingercrushed
- 7 oz raw prawnspeeled and deveined
- 6 dried shiitake mushroomssoaked and sliced
- 1 carrotsliced into flowers
- 9 oz cauliflowersmall florets
- 3 ½ oz snow peastrimmed
To serve
- 2 spring onions (optional)sliced
- 1 handful coriander (optional)
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Blanch 1 ¾ lb pork bones in boiling water for 3 minutes, drain and rinse. Return to a clean pot with 2.5 litres water and 1 onion, bring to the boil and simmer very gently for 1 hour, skimming, until the broth is clear and savoury.
60 minStep 2: Meanwhile soak 2 ⅞ oz dried puffed pork skin (bóng bì) in warm water with 1 oz fresh ginger for 15 minutes, squeeze dry, then soak and squeeze again until the water stays clear. Common mistake: skipping the second rinse, so oil and a stale smell end up in the broth.
20 minStep 3: Cut the soft pork skin into bite-size pieces.
3 minStep 4: Mix 10 ½ oz pork mince with 1 shallot, ½ tsp ground black pepper and ⅞ tbsp fish sauce, beating until sticky, and roll into small balls with wet hands. Keep them in the fridge until needed.
10 minStep 5: Strain the broth into a clean pot, add 2 ⅛ tbsp fish sauce and bring to a gentle simmer. Add 6 dried shiitake mushrooms and 1 carrot and cook for 5 minutes.
6 minStep 6: Drop in the meatballs and simmer for 6–8 minutes, until they float, are no longer pink inside and reach 160°F in the centre.
8 minStep 7: Add 9 oz cauliflower and the pork skin and simmer 3 minutes, then add 7 oz raw prawns and 3 ½ oz snow peas for 2 minutes, until the prawns are pink and opaque all through and the peas bright green.
5 minStep 8: Taste for salt, ladle into a large bowl and scatter with 2 spring onions and 1 handful coriander.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 280 kcal
- Protein
- 28 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does canh bóng (Hanoi puffed pork skin soup) take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of fish sauce?
- Soy sauce with a squeeze of lime (vegetarian).
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