This simple but nourishing soup (pictured at the noon and 3 o'clock marks) served as a light dinner for two people fighting off a bug, a breakfast and three days of lunch. A few splashes of salty, savory fish sauce make it sing, so make sure you have your favorite (nuoc mam, patis, whatever) on hand.
My [vegetable] mise en place, let me show you it
The recipe can vary widely depending on your mood and what you have on hand (for example, I replaced the traditional cabbage with baby bok choy); the following is just what went into this particular iteration. I forgot to separate and weigh the potatoes and green beans (which came with a tomato in a farmer's market grab bag), so all measurements are approximate.
- 2-2.5 lbs. chicken thighs (five plump ones in this case)
- 5 cups water
- 1/2 head garlic, cloves peeled and smashed (about 7 fat cloves)
- 3 young onions, sliced, with greens washed and tied together
- 1-1.5 tsp. salt
- 5-6 young potatoes, quartered
- 2 medium-sized carrots, peeled and chunked
- 10-12 oz. green beans, sliced
- 6 baby bok choy, stems and leaves separated and roughly chopped
- salt to taste
- patis to taste (I like about a tbsp. per small bowl)
Add salt, potatoes and carrots. Cook till the vegetables start to soften, about 7-10 minutes. Add green beans and bok choy stems; cook till beans are becoming tender, but still have a bite to them (about 5-7 minutes).
Taste and adjust seasoning. Add baby bok choy leaves, cover and remove from heat. Serve with rice and patis on the side.
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