Canh Bí Chay, Vietnamese Vegetarian Kabocha Soup, is the perfect canh for Meatless Monday. When I make vegetarian canh, I love adding mushrooms to add a meaty-like texture to the soup. One of my favorite mushrooms to use for canh are Beech mushrooms. I love the mild, sweet, and nutty flavor, and firm, crisp, and meaty texture. I also love adding soft tofu for extra protein.
If you’ve never tasted Kabocha squash, it’s like a cross between pumpkin and sweet potato. So good! I love the delicate and sweet kabocha squash in every bite and is perfect colored soup for the Fall! The natural sweetness it adds to the canh is super comforting and amazing and pairs so well with savory protein dishes and bowls of steamed rice. To be honest tho, it tastes great by itself too!
Ingredients:
8 cups Water
3 tablespoons Quoc Viet Vegetarian Soup Base
2 pounds kabocha squash, peeled, cut into bite-size pieces
1 pound soft tofu, cubed
6 ounces Beech mushrooms
1 shallot, peeled and washed
3 green onions, finely chopped
Black pepper
Steps:
Make Canh– Add water, vegetarian soup base, and shallot in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Add kabocha squash and mushrooms and simmer for 10-12 minutes until the kabocha squash is soft and tender. Add cubed soft tofu and mix. Garnish with chopped green onions.
Tips:
- Leaving skin on the kabocha squash is totally fine. It’s edible!
- You can use vegetable broth instead of using soup base if it’s more convenient for you.
- Check out my Canh Bí Đỏ Tôm recipe for the non-vegetarian version.
- I love paring this canh with a savory and/or salty protein dish and bowls of steamed rice.
No Limit Cooking 
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