Canh is the simple, light soup that appears at almost every Vietnamese family meal, eaten with rice alongside the main dishes. Canh bí đỏ thịt bằm, pumpkin with minced pork, is one of the most loved, especially by kids, because the pumpkin makes the broth naturally sweet.
It's quick: the pork is seasoned with fish sauce and pepper, stir-fried with shallots, then simmered with pumpkin until just tender. Serve it as part of a shared meal or as a light dinner with rice.
Adaptation note: Kent (Jap) or butternut pumpkin both work well. Vietnamese cooks often finish it with ngò gai (sawtooth coriander) or ngò om (rice paddy herb); regular coriander is an easy substitute.
