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Canh Su Su Nau Tôm Bam: A Simple Yet Flavorful Vietnamese Soup
Some dishes prove that you don’t need a long list of ingredients or hours in the kitchen to create something deeply satisfying. Canh su su nau tôm bam—Vietnamese chayote soup with shrimp balls—is exactly that. It’s clean, simple, and incredibly quick to make, yet every spoonful is packed with delicate sweetness and umami depth.
The magic of this soup starts with the broth. There’s no need for elaborate seasoning; just shallots, garlic, fish sauce, mushroom powder, and salt come together to create a light yet flavorful base. As it simmers, the broth naturally sweetens from the chayote and shrimp, developing a rich but refreshing taste.
The key to the shrimp balls is all in the preparation. Instead of mixing in fillers, the trick is to smash the peeled and deveined shrimp first—this helps break down the proteins and create that signature bouncy texture. Once smashed, chop and mince it finely until it forms a sticky paste. Then, when the broth is at a rolling boil, drop the shrimp mixture in by the tablespoon. Almost instantly, they firm up, and as they cook, they rise to the top—a sure sign they’re ready.
The chayote (su su), with its mild sweetness and tender crunch, complements the shrimp perfectly. It softens in just minutes, soaking up the flavors of the broth while adding a refreshing contrast.
And that’s it—chayote shrimp soup in under 30 minutes. It’s light yet deeply satisfying, proof that sometimes the simplest dishes are the ones that stay with you the longest. One sip, and you’ll wonder how something so effortless can taste this good.
Chayote Shrimp Soup – Canh Su Su Nau Tom Bam
Ingredients
Shrimp Marinade:
- ½ lb. shrimp, smashed, then minced
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce
- ½ Tbsp mushroom powder
- ½ tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- pinch of black pepper
- 1 Tbsp green onions, chopped
Broth:
- avocado oil, or any neutral oil
- 2 Tbsp shallot, chopped
- 1 Tbsp garlic, chopped
- 3 chayote, julienned, ¼ inch thick
- 2 quarts water
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1 Tbsp kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp mushroom powder
Garnish:
- cilantro, chopped
- green onions, chopped
Instructions
- Add all the shrimp marinade ingredients together.
- Sauté shallots and garlic together in a pot with oil on medium high heat.
- Add chayote with a sprinkle of salt and stir fry for one minute.
- Add remaining broth ingredients and bring to a boil.
- Once water is boiling, scoop minced shrimp, one tablespoon at a time, and drop them into the pot like dumplings.
- Make sure to get all the marinade into the pot.
- Reduce heat to a medium simmer and let it simmer for 8 minutes.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and chopped green onions.
Nutrition
Equipment
- 3.5 qrt pot
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