You guys already know it’s the season for soups! One of my favorite soups growing up was Canh Bí Đỏ Sườn Heo also known as Vietnamese Kabocha Squash Soup with Pork Ribs. 

If you don’t know, Kabocha is a type of winter squash it’s also known as a Japanese pumpkin. In Japan, they consume this squash quite often because it grows well there and cooks well in soups as well as tempuras.

To those that have never had Kabocha squash before it tastes like a cross between a pumpkin and a sweet potato. It’s much sweeter than its counterpart butternut squash. You can also be substituted for sweet potatoes in recipes so it’s very versatile. 

Today we are making an easy soup with it. It can be the main course or as a side dish to complement entrées. It’s pretty easy to throw together, and it tastes so hearty and fulfilling. We often made this in my parents home in Minnesota, because the squash was so abundant and easy to get. 

The only tricky part about this squash is that it’s pretty hard. If you don’t use a pretty sharp knife, you can hurt yourself peeling it. But one trick I learned was to microwave the squash for about a minute to minute and a half, and it helps soften the squash, so that makes peeling so much easier! 

Let me know if you try this recipe!

Canh Bí Đỏ Sườn Heo (Vietnamese Kabocha Squash Soup with Pork Ribs)

Recipe by Jen H. DaoCourse: RecipesCuisine: asian, viet, vietnameseDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs pork spare ribs (cut into pieces)

• 1 small kabocha squash (peeled and cut into 2-3 in pieces)

• 12 c water

• 3 tsp fish sauce

• 3 tsp chicken boullion

• 2 tsp sugar

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 1-2 green onions (garnish)

Directions

• Cut the top and bottom of the squash and microwave for 1 1/2 mins. It should be soft enough to cut and peel. Remove seeds and cut into 2-3 in chunks)
• Bring water to a boil in a pot. Add ribs and cook on med heat for 20 mins. Scoop out the pork impurities that float to the top.
• Add the squash and seasonings. Cook for 10 mins on med/low.
• Garnish with chopped green onions and serve with rice!

Recipe Video