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1
In a 4-quart saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat.
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2
Add the onion and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes, or until fragrant and soft.
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3
Add the dried shrimp, salt, and fish sauce and cook for about 30 seconds to develop the flavors.
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4
Add the water, raise the heat to high, and bring to a boil.
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5
Skim and discard any scum that floats to the top.
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6
Add the cabbage and return to a boil.
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7
Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, or until the cabbage has softened and the soup is golden.
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8
If you are not serving the soup right away, turn off the heat and cover.
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9
Just before serving, return the soup to a simmer.
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10
Drop in the shrimp.
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11
When the shrimp have turned pink and curled, add the pepper.
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12
Taste and add extra salt or fish sauce, if necessary.
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13
Ladle into a serving bowl and garnish with the scallion.
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14
Serve immediately.
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15
Vietnamese soups are enjoyed throughout the meal, not just at the start, which means you may always go back for more as long as some is left.
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16
You use the same bowl for soup that you use for rice, so dont set aside the soup bowl when it is empty.
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17
In fact, it is a Viet tradition to ladle canh into a bowl containing a little rice.
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18
This practice of eating canh voi com (soup with rice) arose in times of hardship when meager diets consisted mostly of rice.
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19
Flavoring it with soup got people to consume more rice, which made them feel fuller.
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20
Nowadays, with food scarcity less of a concern for many people, canh still tastes good with a little rice in the bowl.
