How to Make Vietnamese Chicken Soup with River-Leaf Creeper

Prepare the Chicken

To clean and remove any odors from the chicken, rub it with rock salt and ginger wine if available. Rinse the chicken thoroughly, drain, and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Place the chicken in a large bowl.

After cutting, marinate the chicken to enhance its flavor:

• Grind 1/2 tablespoon rock salt with 4-5 shallots, 2-3 green bird's eye chilis, 1-2 lime leaves, and 1 red chili, then add to the chicken bowl.
• Add 1 teaspoon seasoning powder
• Add 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• Add 1 tablespoon sugar
• Add 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

Mix well and let the chicken marinate for about 15 minutes.

Prepare the Other Ingredients

Pluck the leaves and young shoots from the river-leaf creeper, discarding any tough stems. This leaf has a sour taste, so adjust the amount to avoid making the soup too sour. For 300g of leaves, you will get about 200g after cleaning, which is suitable for a 1.5-liter pot of soup.

After cleaning the leaves, soak them in salt water for 2-3 minutes, then rinse and drain.

Mince the shallots, garlic, and ginger. Slice the base of the lemongrass thinly, and crush the stalks. Adding lemongrass enhances the soup's aroma.

If you like it spicy, crush some green bird's eye chilis and red chilis.

Wash the rice paddy herb and cilantro, then cut them into 1 cm lengths.

Cook the Chicken Soup with River-Leaf Creeper

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a pot. Once hot, sauté the shallots, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, and chilis. When the mixture is fragrant and golden, add 1 teaspoon of fish sauce to intensify the aroma.

Stir well, then add the marinated chicken. Increase the heat and stir-fry the chicken until it firms up.

Once the chicken is cooked and no longer pink, add about 1.5 liters of water to make the soup.

When the soup comes to a boil, skim off any foam and reduce the heat to low. Let the soup simmer for about 15 minutes to tenderize the chicken.

After 15 minutes, remove the lemongrass stalks. Crush the river-leaf creeper slightly and add it to the soup. Increase the heat and season the soup with seasoning powder, fish sauce, a little MSG, and a touch of sugar to balance the sourness if it's too sharp.

After adjusting the seasoning, cook for another 30 seconds, then add the rice paddy herb and cilantro. Cook for 6-8 seconds, then turn off the heat and serve the soup in a bowl.

Chicken soup with river-leaf creeper has a fragrant aroma, with a light sourness and sweetness in the broth. The chicken is flavorful and tender, and the slight heat from the chilis makes this dish perfect for enjoying hot. Dip the chicken in lime-pepper chili sauce for added flavor.

Make Lime-Pepper Chili Dipping Sauce

Add 2-3 chilis and 3 sliced lime leaves to a pan with 2 tablespoons of rock salt. Toast the mixture over medium heat to enhance the aroma and reduce the salt's sharpness.

Once the salt is dry, remove from heat and grind the mixture in a mortar. Add 1/2 tablespoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of ground pepper, then mix. Transfer to a small dish and garnish with fresh lime leaves. When serving, squeeze in some lime juice and mix well.

Alternatively, you can use a combination of seasoning powder, pepper, and lime for dipping, which also complements the chicken nicely.

If you have more time, consider preparing extra ingredients like mushrooms, banana blossoms, noodles, and fried tofu to turn this soup into a full chicken hotpot with river-leaf creeper, which is equally delicious.