Chrysanthemum Greens Soup - Cảnh Tần Ô

Recipe by Chef Amanda Vong of Auntie Manna's

Soup has never been an after-thought in my family home—it has always been the centerpiece in most of my mother’s homemade meals. From phở (noodle soup), bún bò huế (spicy beef noodle soup), canh rau mồng tơi (malabar spinach soup), and on, and on. In my memory of our steamy family kitchen, my siblings and I always slurped soup from large bowls full of all types of vegetables, protein, noodles; really anything you can imagine in a bowl of soup—we had. It was easy for my mother to prepare a large pot of soup and then do nothing else for the rest of the day. We ate the same meal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner—sometimes complaining of lack of variety, but we were never hungry.

Cảnh Tần Ô (Chrysanthemum Greens Soup) is something I did not grow up eating. I grew up having canh rau mồng tơi (malabar spinach soup) because my mother grew it in the backyard. She’d disappear into the yard and come back with her harvest. When I was young, I did not know that my mother grew things for us to eat. Looking back now, I understand that this was cost-effective and time-efficient for her. Both Cảnh Tần Ô and Canh Rau Mồng Tơi have a similar preparation and base, meaning that the greens can be substituted with any type of leafy green available to you. I love this the most because the recipe can be adapted in many different ways depending on availability of the seasons.

I’ve grown to cherish Cảnh Tần Ô because I developed a relationship with it while it was growing in our community garden plot. I began to notice how unassuming and resilient the plant was. When most people drop their jaws in awe for the blossoms of its flower, I paid most attention to the leafy greens and when / how I should harvest for a perfect leaf. What is most intimate about this dish is how intricate you have to be when plucking the leaves from the stem. With this soup, I find that harvesting the younger and tender leaves makes for a more pleasant experience when consuming the soup than an older and tougher leaf.

I have enjoyed this recipe most when it is prepared straight from our garden. Prepping all my ingredients, bringing a small stove, harvesting and washing the chrysanthemum greens, and cooking and enjoying it outside on a cold and clear late morning is quite something!

Cảnh Tần Ô is best enjoyed fresh, either on its own or with some white jasmine rice.