Khanh Ta cooks shrimp soup with Vietnamese cucumber. She doesn't throw away the shells, they add flavor to the broth

1. 10. 2026 In the kitchen with VIP

Vietnamese cuisine is far from just pho or rolls. Chef Khanh Ta shows another form of traditional cooking and prepares a light soup with shrimp, eggplant and ingredients that are quite unusual for Czech cuisine. These include, in particular, unripe loofah, taro stem or aromatic perilla.

The base is unripe loofah

One of the main ingredients in the soup is the unripe loofah. While the mature loofah is primarily known as a natural sponge, the young fruits are edible and commonly cooked in Asian cuisine.

“The essential ingredient in this soup is the raw material, sometimes called Vietnamese cucumber,” explains chef Khanh Ta. The lufu is first peeled and then cut into rounds. Along with it, eggplant and taro stalk also appear in the soup.

It is the latter ingredient that needs to be handled properly. "Taro stalks cannot be eaten raw, like rhubarb. Peel them like rhubarb and cut them into rounds," advises Khanh.

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Use shrimp almost whole

The shrimp provide an important flavor to the soup according to this recipe. Before they go into the pot, they need to be cleaned properly. First, break off the head, peel off the shell and remove the tail. Cut the shrimp meat lengthwise along the back and pull out the dark gut.

But don’t throw away the heads and shells. They have a lot of flavor, and Khanh Ta uses them in making soup. The length of cooking is important, though. “We use the skeletons in the broth, but we only cook them for about 10 to 15 minutes. They can’t be cooked too long, because the broth could be bitter,” warns the chef.

The shrimp themselves are prepared separately. First, fry the shallots and garlic in hot fat, add the shrimp and fry them briefly. Then remove them and set aside so they don't overcook. They will be returned to the soup when serving.

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Broth takes time

The base of the entire soup is a broth made from chicken bones and pork trimmings. Ty Khanh Ta first roasts them in oil. This step is not an end in itself. “We roast everything to give the broth a better flavor and a more pronounced color,” he explains.

Once the meat and bones are browned, cover them with cold water. “The ideal ratio is one part meat and bones to two parts water,” Khanh recommends. Bring the broth to a boil, then let it simmer. Skim off any foam that forms on the surface as it cooks.

After the shrimp, add the eggplant to the pan and sauté briefly. Add the shrimp heads and skeletons, chopped loofah, and mix everything together. The fish sauce adds a distinct salty flavor. "We generously drizzle with fish sauce, mix, pour in the broth, and simmer for a while," the chef describes.

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Shrimp soup

This eye-catching, colorful soup is made from a thick, long-simmered meat broth, vegetables, and shrimp. It will surprise you with its great flavor and the abundance of unconventional ingredients. In a bowl, we decorate the servings with sliced ​​taro stems, perilla, and whole shrimp.

To prepare you will need:

How about this?

Clean the shrimp by breaking off the head, simply peeling off the shell and removing the tail. Once the shrimp is peeled, cut it lengthwise along the back and remove the thin intestine. Keep the shells for the broth, but cook them for only 10-15 minutes. Do not cook them for too long, as the broth may become bitter.

Make the broth. Heat the oil in a large pot and fry the chicken bones and pork trimmings. Fry everything well so that the broth has a more pronounced taste and color. Pour cold water over the fried meat and bones - ideally in a ratio of 1 part meat and bones to 2 parts water. Bring the broth to a boil and then let it simmer slowly for about 2 hours. During cooking, constantly skim the foam from the surface with a spoon.

Peel the loofah and cut it into rounds. Crush the garlic and chop it finely, cut the eggplant into cubes. Use the taro stalk to acidify the soup. Peel it and cut it into rounds.

Heat the fat in a pan and fry the shallot and garlic. Add the shrimp and fry briefly. Add a little more fat if necessary. Remove the fried shrimp to a bowl and set aside.

Add the chopped eggplant to the pan and fry briefly. Add the shrimp heads and shells and the chopped loofah. Mix lightly and drizzle generously with fish sauce. Mix again, pour in the stock and simmer briefly.

Season the finished soup with salt, sugar and pepper. Stir and while the flavors meld, finely chop the perilla. Divide the soup into bowls and garnish with shrimp, taro stalk and perilla, which has a fresh lemony flavour similar to lemongrass.