Canh Bi Thit Heo- Vietnamese Luffa Sponge Gourd Soup With Pork (Recipe)

Luffa is also known as loofa or loofah, and is a type of vegetable gourd. When cooked it reminds me of a green squash if you were to cook it too.

This simple clear soup is also known as “Canh Bi Thit Heo” in Vietnamese. In this soup luffa is stuffed with pork, clear noodles and woodear mushrooms making for a very savory and simple soup.

It’s garnished with fresh chives from our garden and a little Red Boat Salt for a little extra umami and and some freshly ground pepper.

It’s very similar to stuffed bitter melon soup but without all the bitterness 😂.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup ground pork

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp sea salt or kosher salt

1/3 cup pre-soaked mung bean noodles (chopped into 1” segments, measurements are taken after soaking)

1/4 cup pre-soaked wood ear mushrooms (loosely chopped, measurements are taken after soaking)

Broth:

4 cups water

1/4 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp Red Boat salt (or sea salt)

Garnish:

2 tbs chives or scallions

black pepper (to taste)

Red boat fish sauce (optional to taste if not using Red Boat salt)

PREPARATION

1. Soak mushrooms and mung beans in warm water for 15 min.

2. Add 4 cups water in a medium pot

3. Add all broth ingredients: 1/4 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp salt (or Red Boat salt). Bring to a boil.

4. While water is boiling mix ground pork with 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp salt. Then mix by hand with loosely chopped mung bean noodles and chopped wood ear mushrooms).

5. Peel luffa squash, cut into wide chunks about 2” and carve out the inside of the pieces, then stuff with ground pork mixture.

6. Add stuffed luffa into broth and bring to a boil, as soon as it hits a boil, lower to simmer and cook for about 10-15 min until pork is cooked through.

7. Garnish with some fresh chives or scallions in the last minute of cooking. Finish with some fresh black pepper. Taste, add salt or fish sauce to taste.