The Vietnamese Cuisine - Vietnamese beef soup with lemon grass to drive the cold away

I cooked a simple soup Vietnamese Beef Soup With Lemon Grass

It has been really cold and miserable these last couple of days in Hanoi. Most of the time, I would recommend my guests at Cau Go Vietnamese Cuisine to have the restaurant’s specials such as “Goỉ Tiến Vua” or “Crab soup with “đay” vegetable” for dinner . But tonight, I wanted share something else. I wanted to let our guests experience something mum used to make, so I cooked a simple soup of Vietnamese Beef Soup With Lemon Grass (which I carefully place in my Cau Go’s Menu). I often recall my mother making this soup; it would not only warm up and nourish the body but heart and soul as well. It's something that I always love having during this weather and it's something that always bring back fond memories.

It would not only warm up and nourish the body but heart and soul as well

 Recipe 

1 stalk fresh lemongrass or 1 tablespoon dried lemon grass
Tip: If you are using fresh lemon grass, simply remove the outer leaves and upper two-thirds of the stalk, then chop. If you are using dried, it must be soaked for 2 hours, then drained and chopped fine. 

Fresh lemon grass

1 dash fresh ground black pepper

2 teaspoons fish sauce (nuoc mam)

1 clove garlic,

Clove garlic

chopped 6 ounces fatty beef chuck, sliced paper thin

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

2 shallots or 2 scallions, slice white part of

Shallots

3 cups water

1 1/2 beef bouillon cubes

1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon fresh coriander, chopped (Chinese parsley)

Coriander

2 scallions, green part only,chopped

(Care for market visit with Cau Go’s chef to pick the best of those ingredients above, inbox a message to www.facebook.com/caugovietnamesecuisine ) 

Method 

1.Sprinkle the black pepper, 1 teaspoon of the fish sauce, and chopped garlic over the meat; mix well and allow the meat to absorb the flavors for a few minutes.

Allow the meat to absorb the flavors for a few minutes

2.Heat the oil and fry the shallots over a high flame.

Fry the shallots

3.Add the lemon grass and fry for about 1 minute, then add the meat.

4.Cook until all traces of redness are gone.

5.Add the water, bring to a boil, and add the beef bouillon cubes, remaining 1 teaspoon fish sauce, and salt.

6.Immediately before serving, bring the soup to a boil.

7.Pour into bowls and sprinkle with the chopped coriander and scallion.

Chopped coriander and scallion

The Soup doesn't call for hot chilies, but you can slice a couple into thin rounds and toss them in.

Care to drive the cold away? come and see me at Cau Go Vietnamese Cusine, 7 Dinh Tien Hoang, Hoan Kiem, order Vietnamese Beef Soup With Lemon Grass.

Care to drive the cold away