Opo Squash Soup with Shrimp | Canh Bau Tom

A light, slightly sweet, and refreshing soup that basically consists of 2 ingredients, shrimp and opo quash, you can pretty much find the rest of the ingredients in your seasonings cabinet and fridge.



Winter melon can be used instead too, but I like the way opo quash holds up in the soup. Winter melon tends to overcook easily and has a mushy texture. Up until maybe a year ago, I could not tell the difference between these two vegetables. How I distinguish the two: Opo Squash is usually light green in color and has a smooth skin; Winter melon is a little bit of a darker green and has a fuzzy skin.


Lightly pound deveined shrimp; marinade with fish sauce, chili flakes, scallions whites, and minces garlic.


Remove the skin and cut opo squash into thin (not paper thin) pieces. I cut mine into half circles, but you can cut it anyway you prefer - you don't want it too thick either.


As always, I like to start many dishes by infusing the oil and sambal chili paste


Heat on high: Add the shrimp mixture and let cook for about a minute - stirring to break up the clump of shrimp.


Add water and bring to boil. Season broth with salt and fish sauce.


Add opo squash - cook until just almost translucent. Remove from heat and it will continue to cook.


Garnish with chopped scallions and enjoy simply as is or with rice.