Yampi Root / Yam Soup (Canh Khoai Mo)

I’ve always been fascinated by the creamy, silkiness of Yampi Soup (Canh Khoai Mo).  The fact that this unique slippery texture comes from a root vegetable is equally intriguing.  What exactly is this mysterious vegetable?  My research tells me this vegetable, called the Yampi Root, is a tuber in the yam family.  It’s called by many different names and often confused with similar root vegetables.  Because of the frequent mix-ups, it’s often just generically called a yam.  As with many root vegetables there are endless varieties.  With this particular vegetable, it’s best to know what you’re looking for when shopping for it rather than asking for it by name.  In the video, I show you how to identify it among the mountains of other root vegetables.

Watch the video for instructions.

Yampi Root Soup / Canh Khoai Mo

Ingredients

2 green onions
1 small bunch rice paddy herb or cilantro
6 oz shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 tsp sugar
1 lb yampi root
1/4 tsp salt
2 (14 oz) cans chicken broth or homemade chicken stock or pork stock
1 tsp fish sauce
1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Directions

Finely dice the green onion tops (green stems).  Set aside in a small bowl.  Dice the remaining green onion bottoms (white portion) and set aside in a separate bowl.  Coarsely chop the rice paddy herb and add to green onion tops.  Toss together and then set aside for now.

Coarsely chop the shrimp and add to bowl with the green onion bottoms.  Add the sugar, several dashes of ground black pepper and salt.  Combine everything together and set aside for now.

Using a vegetable peeler, remove the skin from the yampi root.  Use a paring knife to remove any deep spots or remaining skin.  Rinse with cool water and pat dry.  Grate the vegetable using a coarse blade.  Leave about a 1 inch section of the root remaining.  Cut this section into small chunks.

In a medium saucepan, add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Add the yampi root chunks. Cover the pot and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the grated yampi root and stir together.  Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.  Every few minutes stir the soup so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

Add the shrimp and combine with the soup.  Turn off the heat.  Stir the soup for 1 minute until the shrimp is cooked.  If the soup is too thick, add some water.  Add fish sauce and combine together.  Add 2 Tbsp of the chopped green onions and herb mixture.  Stir together.

Just before serving, sprinkle the top of the soup with more fresh greens and ground black pepper.

Enjoy the Yampi Root Soup while hot. Refrigerate any remaining portions and enjoy within 3-4 days.

Yields: 4 servings

Need a refresher on what Rice Paddy Herb is? Check out this post: A Quick Guide to Vietnamese Herbs