Canh Bi Do Tom Recipe (Vietnamese Pumpkin and Shrimp Soup)

Canh bí đỏ nấu tôm tươi literally translates to "pumpkin soup cooked with fresh shrimp". The natural sweetness from the shrimp pairs wonderfully with pumpkin. My mom’s trick to give the shrimp a better consistency is to blend in a few baby squid with the shrimp. If that scares you, you can omit it; the soup will still be yummy.

Soup is the quintessential Vietnamese comfort food, and this is a very tasty example. It is but one of many variations of soups that are served as a component of a typical Vietnamese meal. Traditionally, a Vietnamese meal is composed of jasmine rice, a meat or seafood dish and a bowl of soup on the side. If you’re planning a Vietnamese feast, consider serving it with grilled chicken.

Gluten Free Tofu Ravioli Soup Recipe

Tofu ravioli soup is a great first course. The soup is very light and as a bonus, it's gluten free. The twist is that thin slices of tofu are used as the wrapper for the ravioli. I filled the gluten-free raviolis with pre-cooked mushrooms, mung bean paste and jicama. I served them phở-style, meaning that I brought the ravioli to the table in bowls and then covered them with boiling-hot broth just before serving.

I learned the recipe from the lovely Chef Theresa Lin while attending the top 100 Chinese Restaurant Show in January in San Francisco. She's a hostess of several Chinese-language TV and radio programs around the world. She also was the executive food designer of the hit film "Eat Drink Man Woman," which garnered an Oscar nomination as Best Foreign Film. I got the opportunity to spend some time and have lunch with her, and in a very brief amount of time I learned quite a bit about Chinese cuisine. She is such a sweet lady and let Lulu and me taste her delicious food. This was one of the dishes she featured, and we loved it. You will too!

Canh Bap Cuon (Stuffed Cabbage Soup Recipe)

Canh bắp cải cuốn, which literally translates to stuffed cabbage wrap soup is my way of using the leftover potsticker filling I recently made. I stuffed the leftover mixture into whole cabbage leaves that were previously softened by par-boiling. I served them phở-style, meaning that I brought them to the table in bowls and then covered them with celery and carrot broth just before everyone dug in.

Creating little cabbage “gifts” is a great way to vary the vegetarian meals we've been having this week for Tết (Vietnamese Lunar New Year, on February 3^rd). I tied the cabbage with green onions strings. The entire thing is edible and looks very playful.

Vegetarian Wonton Soup Recipe

Wonton soup is made with dumplings and flavorful broth. It may look difficult, but the dish isn't as complicated as it seems. The key is to use thin, good quality wonton wraps. I've tried several brands and I’ve finally found the one with perfect thickness and consistency. All you need is a little practice at folding the dumplings. I will post a video soon demonstrating how to make wontons. Stay tuned!

I filled these wontons with fried jicama, tofu and shiitake mushrooms. I served the soup as a side dish. It's vegetarian, low in calories and delicious. Wontons are work, but they are rewarding.
 

Cream of Asparagus Soup Recipe

Cream of asparagus soup is a dish I recently served for a dinner party as a first course. The soup is packed with asparagus flavor. This is because I made the vegetable stock with the roots from the asparagus, then I blended in the asparagus that I roasted for a few minutes. The usual roux helps thicken the soup to which I then added St Félicien cheese, -one of my husband Lulu's favorite cheeses-, for extra creaminess.

This step is optional but if you want to be met with a round of "oohs" and "ahs" when the bowls of soup are brought to the dinner table, I suggest that you cover the bowl of soup with puff pastry. For decoration, top with a little saffron cream and an asparagus spear. It's a truly seductive way to start a meal.