One of my goals this year was to put more weeknight friendly recipes on the blog. I feel like most of us are all cooked out, and just want something easy to put on the table at night. That’s where this Vietnamese chicken tomato soup comes in. My mom literally makes this all the time because of how easy and comforting it is. It is also really nice to have soup right now in the middle of winter.
Ingredients, Substitutions & Adjustments
- Chicken breast – This is the base of the broth. I used 2 pounds of chicken breasts but you can use any cut of chicken you want. Chicken pieces with bones result in the richest, best tasting broth. To make large quantities of this soup, use an entire chicken.
- Onion – Adds sweetness to the soup. I used a sweet yellow onion but a white onion works too.
- Dried shrimp – Adds more flavor and sweetness to the soup. Make sure to soak in a bowl of water before using to clean the shrimp. If you don’t have dried shrimp, use half a pound of raw shrimp.
- Salt and sugar for seasoning
- Tomatoes – You can use any kind of tomatoes for the soup. I usually just use the ones I can find at the store.
- Chicken broth – Adds more flavor to the broth. I like to use reduced or low sodium chicken broth, so I can control the amount of salt in the soup.
- Silken tofu – Silken tofu works best in this broth, but you can use any kind of tofu you want.
- Green onions, cilantro, and fried shallots for garnish
Making my Vietnamese chicken tomato soup
First you gotta clean your shrimp. Add the dried shrimp to a bowl of water and let it sit for 10 minutes. Next add 4 cups of water to a soup pot. Bring to a boil. Then add your chicken breast, onion, dried shrimp, salt, and sugar. Scoop off any impurities you see. Let it simmer for 30 minutes. Add the tomatoes and chicken broth. Simmer for another 15 minutes. Take out the chicken breast and shred it into small pieces. Add them back to the broth. Lastly, add in the silken tofu and the soup is done! Ladle some soup into bowls. Top with green onions, cilantro, and fried shallots and serve!
Tips on how to make the perfect Vietnamese chicken tomato soup
- Keep the soup on a low simmer – If the liquid gets too hot, it will start to boil. Boiling the soup too much will make it cloudy and taste a little weird, so make sure to check it every 15 minutes or so to make sure this doesn’t happen.
- Make sure to clean your dried shrimp – I mentioned this above, but dried shrimp has a lot of sand and dirt in it, so make sure to soak it for at least 10 minutes to get all that out.
- Eat with a side of soy sauce dipping sauce – One thing I like to do is make a little bit of my soy sauce dipping sauce and use it as a dip for the tofu. Sometimes, I even spoon a bit into my bowl of soup for extra flavor.
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Vietnamese Chicken Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- ¼ cup dried shrimp
- 4 cups water
- 2 lb chicken breast
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 3 large tomatoes quartered
- 1 can chicken broth 14.5 oz
- 1 package silken tofu 16 oz
- 2 stalks green onions minced
- 2 tbsp cilantro minced
- 1 tbsp fried shallots
Instructions
- Add dried shrimp to a bowl. Cover with water and let sit for 10 minutes to clean the shrimp.
- Bring 4 cups of water to a boil.
- Add chicken breast, onion, dried shrimp, salt, and sugar. Scoop off any impurities you see.
- Let it simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add tomatoes and chicken broth. Simmer another 15 minutes.
- Take out the chicken and shred it into small pieces. Add it back to the broth.
- Lastly, add in the silken tofu. The broth should be done at this point.
- Ladle soup into bowls. Top with cilantro, green onions, and fried shallots and serve.
Notes
- I used chicken breast, but you can use any cut of chicken you want. Cuts with bone will produce a richer, tastier broth.
- Serve soup with a side of rice. I love combining some soup and rice, and eating it together.
- Another thing I like to do is use some soy sauce dipping sauce as a dip for the tofu.
Nutrition
117
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