Vietnamese Curry Chicken Soup

     My daughter and I absolutely love Vietnamese Curry Chicken Soup! This was actually the first Vietnamese soup dish my Mom made for my daughter after she was born and old enough to eat this soup. Although there are several versions of this soup, I use the recipe my Mom always made. Of course all her recipes were never written down so I always had to pay extra attention to her cooking.
     I first fry the chicken until brown. I add the curry powder and the chicken becomes this beautiful golden color and the aroma is awesome. Then infuse the chicken with onion, ginger, bay leaves, and lemon grass. For the broth I add coconut milk, water, and fish sauce. I let the soup come to a boil then let simmer for about 20 minutes.
     In a bowl add your spaghetti and top with the soup. We make a simple lime juice, salt, and pepper mixture to dip the chicken in. The combination is delicious! French or italian bread is always the perfect bread to dip and soak up the soup juices. I personally think the bread and soup is the best part of this meal.
     Overall this soup is very simple to make. The Vietnamese curry powder and lemon grass can be found at your local asian grocery. The flavors of this soup are phenomenal and I always love the smell of curry in my kitchen.  ♡
    

Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls

     Fresh and delicious Vietnamese spring rolls! Even with all this Kentucky snow I still love making this. They are simple to make, filled with tons of aromatic herbs, and super refreshing.  A healthy dish as well.
     The main staple to this recipe is rice paper. I always have plenty of rice paper in stock in my kitchen. Once you figure out the technique on how to use rice paper the recipes and creativity are endless. This time I used green lettuce leaves, shredded cabbage, shredded carrots, mint, cilantro, and jumbo shrimp.
     Depending on my taste buds, I make two different sauces to go with my spring rolls. I either make a peanut dipping sauce or fish sauce. I decided to go with the peanut sauce on this one. My peanut sauce is very simple. I combine hoisen sauce, fresh garlic, siracha chili sauce, crunchy peanut butter, lime juice, and water to thin it out.
     If you are interested in making Vietnamese cuisine but scared to try, I suggest starting with easy and delicious spring rolls. It's an excellent starter and definitely one you will enjoy. ♡

Vietnamese Mung Bean and Seaweed soup

     I love this dessert soup! My Mom makes this and she always makes extra for me to take home. She adds the sweetness of sugar and coconut milk to the mung beans and seaweed.
     Mung bean and seaweed are beneficial in this soup and it is also considered a super food. It is full of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. It's benefits are to help with heart health, colds, and cholesterol, and improve the immune system. 
     I love the mild taste and texture of the mung beans and the sweetness from coconut and sugar.  You can eat this warm or cold. Today I'm eating this warm. Thank you Mom!