Canh bau or bottle gourd soup is often made with shrimps. Because of food allergy, I rarely cook with seafood at our house. I chose chicken and followed a recipe I typically use to make green papaya soup.
Ingredients:
1 tbsp oil
1 thumb size piece of ginger, peeled and sliced
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
1/2 onion, diced
1 lb of dark meat chicken (preferably with bones on)
2 tsp salt
1 bottle gourd, peeled and cut into chunks
In medium large pot with oil over medium heat, add onion, ginger and garlic. Cook until onions are translucent. Toss in chicken and season with salt. Cook to brown chicken on all sides. Add the bottle gourd. Stir it around until well combine.
Pour in 6 cups of water (more or less depending on how much more broth you like the soup to be) Bring to a boil. Skim any impurities. Reduce heat and let soup simmer until bottle gourd is tender. Adjust seasoning with salt or fish sauce as needed.
Transfer to a large soup bowl. Garnish with scallions and serve as part of a meal with rice.
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