Food Recipes Soups Meat Soups Canh Cà Bung (Vietnamese Eggplant and Tofu Soup) 5.0 (2) 2 Reviews This comforting northern Vietnamese soup layers browned pork belly, crisp tofu, tender eggplant, and fragrant herbs into a deeply savory broth. By Gian Carlo Reinardy Gian Carlo Reinardy Gian Carlo Reinardy is the co-chef and co-owner of The Paper Bridge in Portland, Oregon, where he and his wife, Quynh Nguyen, showcase the diverse regional cuisines of north Vietnam. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on September 15, 2026 Save Rate PRINT Share Close Credit: Food & Wine / Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Active Time: 45 mins Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Servings: 6 Jump to recipe The soup comes together in just over an hour and reheats beautifully, making it an excellent make-ahead meal for busy weeknights.Browning the pork and aromatics before simmering builds a deeply layered broth with minimal hands-on effort.Pan-frying the tofu creates crisp edges that soak up the flavorful broth while adding satisfying texture to every spoonful. 2026 F&W Best New Chef Gian Carlo Reinardy’s take on canh cà bung celebrates the comforting flavors of Northern Vietnam with a deeply savory broth built from browned pork belly, crisp tofu, tender eggplant, and a touch of mắm tôm, a type of shrimp paste, for added umami. Fresh perilla, betel leaves, and scallions lend the soup its distinctive herbaceous character, while turmeric and tomatoes bring warmth and brightness. Traditionally served as part of a family-style Vietnamese meal, this nourishing soup is equally satisfying on its own or paired with rice noodles for a heartier bowl. What is canh cà bung? Canh cà bung is a traditional northern Vietnamese soup that can be served as part of a family-style meal or enjoyed as a main course with bún (rice vermicelli) noodles. Like many home-cooked dishes, every family prepares it a little differently, adjusting the amount of broth to create a lighter soup or a heartier, stewlike consistency. In this version, browned pork belly, tofu, and eggplant create a rich, savory base, while scallions, purple perilla, and betel leaves lend the soup its signature herbaceous aroma. The name reflects the dish itself: Canh refers to the vegetable-forward soups that are a staple of the Vietnamese dinner table, cà means eggplant, and bung describes the way the eggplant softens and gently breaks down as it cooks. While substitutions are possible, the combination of scallions, purple perilla, and betel leaves is what gives canh cà bung its distinctive character and ties it to the flavors of northern Vietnam. Traditionally, the tofu for canh cà bung is deep-fried, creating a light, spongelike texture that readily absorbs the broth. For a more approachable home-cooking method, we pan-fry the tofu until it’s browned and crisp on all sides, producing similarly flavorful results with less oil. Tips on ingredient sourcing Tofu is one of the stars of this soup, so seek out freshly made tofu from a local Asian market if you can. Its delicate texture and fresh flavor shine in the broth, though packaged firm tofu also works well. Purple perilla and betel leaves are essential to the soup’s signature herbal flavor. Look for purple perilla labeled tia tô, red shiso, or Vietnamese shiso; the leaves are green on one side and deep purple on the other. Betel leaves are often labeled lá lốt at Vietnamese markets. Be sure not to confuse them with lá trầu, a different plant that is sometimes translated as betel leaf. Mẻ, a fermented rice starter used in Vietnamese cooking, is difficult to find outside Vietnam. If it’s unavailable, white vinegar provides a reliable substitute with the acidity needed to balance the broth. For flavor that is most true to the original, be sure to include a small amount of mắm tôm in the mix. Although its aroma is intensely pungent, it mellows as it cooks, adding a deep, savory complexity that defines the dish. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen To quickly chiffonade the perilla and betel leaves, stack the leaves, roll them into a tight cylinder, and slice them thinly crosswise.For a vegetarian version, replace the pork belly with oyster or king oyster mushrooms. Substitute the chicken bouillon with mushroom powder, and use a vegetarian fish sauce if available.Serve the soup with cooked bún (rice vermicelli) noodles for a more substantial meal. Keep Screen Awake Ingredients 1 pound pork belly, rind removed 2 teaspoons hạt nêm or chicken bouillon powder 2 teaspoons black pepper 1 1/2 teaspoons oyster sauce (such as Lee Kum Kee) 1 teaspoon MSG 3 1/2 tablespoons Vietnamese fish sauce (such as Three Crabs), divided, plus more to taste 1 bunch scallions (about 7 scallions) 1 cup thinly sliced perilla leaves 1 cup thinly sliced betel leaves 7 tablespoons canola oil, divided 2 medium (1 1/2 ounces) shallots, thinly sliced (about 1 cup) 2 (4-ounce) plum tomatoes, quartered 2 medium garlic cloves, minced (about 2 teaspoons) 1 teaspoon ground turmeric 2 quarts water, plus more if needed 2 (14-ounce) blocks firm tofu, patted dry and cut into 1-inch cubes 1 tablespoon mắm tôm (shrimp paste) (such as Lee Kum Kee) (optional) 1 tablespoon mẻ or white vinegar 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste 2 Japanese eggplants (about 12-ounces total), quartered lengthwise and cut into 2-inch pieces Directions Cut pork belly lengthwise into 1-inch-thick strips; cut each strip crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place in a large mixing bowl. Add hạt nêm, black pepper, oyster sauce, MSG, and 1 1/2 teaspoons fish sauce; combine thoroughly. Marinate for 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cut white parts of scallions lengthwise into strips, and thinly slice green parts of scallions (about 1 cup). Stir together perilla and betel leaves with green parts of scallions in a medium bowl. Set aside. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a medium-size, heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium-high. Once oil just begins to smoke, add marinated pork belly and sliced shallots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until bottom of stockpot begins to develop a small amount of browning, about 10 minutes. Turn off heat; add tomatoes, garlic, and turmeric. Return stockpot to low, and stir gently until browned bits release from bottom of stockpot, about 5 minutes. (If mixture becomes too dry, add a splash of water.) Once all browned bits are removed from bottom of stockpot, add 2 quarts water. Bring to a boil over high; reduce heat to a bare simmer over medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes. While soup simmers, heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Working in 2 batches, fry tofu on all sides until browned and crispy, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer fried tofu to a paper towel–lined baking sheet. Stir tofu, mắm tôm (if using), and mẻ into stockpot. Add salt and remaining 3 tablespoons fish sauce. Add eggplants to stockpot, and bring back to a simmer over medium-high; simmer until eggplants are softened and absorb flavor of broth, about 5 minutes. Add scallion whites, and remove from heat. Stir in reserved scallion greens, perilla leaves, and betel leaves. Make ahead Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to one week or freeze for up to six months. Cook this recipe and more in the MyRecipes app. Get the App Save Rate Print Loading shell for RecipesUgcThreaded1 Vue component in Globe.