Asparagus and Crab Meat Soup - Mang Tay Nau Cua

Recipe Categories : | All Soup | Asparagus | Crab | All Seafood | Vietnamese |

  Ingredients

• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 tbsp plus 2 tspn nuoc mam (Vietnamese fish sauce)
• ½ tspn sugar
• ¼ tspn salt
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 6 shallots, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 8 oz fresh or canned lump crabmeat, picked over and drained
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot, mixed with 2 tbsp cold water
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 15 oz white asparagus spears, cut into 1" sections with liquid reserved
• 1 tbsp shredded coriander
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced

  Preparation and Cooking Instructions

1. Combine the broth, 1 tbsp of the fish sauce, the sugar and salt in a 3 quart soup pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet. Add the shallots and garlic and stir-fry until aromatic. Add the crab meat, the remaining 2 tspn fish sauce and black pepper to taste. Stirfry over high heat for 1 minute. Set aside.
2. Bring the soup to a boil. Add the cornstarch mixture and stir gently until the soup thickens and is clear. While the soup is actively boiling, add the egg and stir gently. Continue to stir for about 1 minute. Add the crab meat mixture and asparagus with its canning liquid; cook gently until heated through.
3. Transfer the soup to a heated tureen. Sprinkle on the coriander, scallion and freshly ground black pepper.