CANH BÍ ĐỎ (VIETNAMESE PUMPKIN SOUP) WITH CAROLINE HAHM

At Di An Di, Caroline Hahm crafts Vietnamese food that honors both memory and place. As chef and owner, she's built a restaurant where traditional flavors find expression through exceptional ingredients, and where cooking remains, at its core, an act of care.

Di An Di has become a destination for those seeking Vietnamese cuisine that's both deeply rooted and distinctly Caroline's — a reflection of her training, her travels, and the wisdom passed down from the aunties and cooks who shaped her understanding of this food.

Her Vietnamese Pumpkin Soup is a study in simplicity and nourishment: tender pork riblets, sweet Delica pumpkin, and a broth built on the aromatic foundation of shallots, garlic, and fish sauce. It's the kind of soup that exists in countless variations across Vietnamese homes, each family adding their own touch, each bowl carrying its own story.

The Delica pumpkin — grown by Oscar Zerbinati in Italy's Po Valley — brings a density and sweetness that makes it ideal for this preparation. Unlike watery squashes that collapse under heat, Delica holds its shape as it softens, absorbing the savory broth without losing its integrity. Oscar's pumpkins, cultivated with meticulous attention in mineral-rich soil, deliver a concentrated flavor that needs little embellishment.

Here, the Delica's natural sweetness plays against the umami of fish sauce and Maggi seasoning, while the pork riblets contribute richness and body. The soup comes together without fuss — "accessible to novice and professionals alike" — yet delivers the kind of satisfaction that comes from ingredients treated with respect.

Caroline serves her Canh Bí Đỏ, topped with scallions, watercress, black pepper, and fried shallots (if she has them on hand), to accompany the bowl itself: generous chunks of pumpkin, fall-off-the-bone riblets, and a broth that's been given time to become itself.

"I'm grateful to have access to great ingredients from my vendors like Natoora," Caroline says. "Hopefully, the love I put into my food nourishes people in a way that commercially mass-produced food could never do."

This soup is proof that the best cooking often requires the least intervention — just good ingredients, a bit of time, and the intention to feed someone well.

CANH BÍ ĐỎ (VIETNAMESE PUMPKIN SOUP)

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4 -6)

1 Zerbinati Delica Pumpkin (~2 lbs)
2 lbs pork riblets
2 small shallots, small dice
1 head of garlic (6-8 cloves), minced or sliced
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons Red Boat fish sauce
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder
1 tablespoon Maggi seasoning
2 scallions, chopped (whites and greens separated)
Bunch of watercress (or spinach), optional
Fresh cracked black pepper
Salt to taste
Fried shallots for garnish (optional)

METHOD

1. Cut the riblets between the bones. Depending on your butcher and whether they can custom-cut ribs into "riblets," you may need to separate the pieces yourself.
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add 2 tablespoons of salt, and add the riblets to the boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes, until the water returns to a boil.
3. Strain the riblets and rinse with cold water. This removes initial impurities and reduces the amount of skimming needed when making the pork broth.
4. Prep your shallots, garlic, and scallions. Sauté in the pot with vegetable oil and a pinch of salt.
5. Add the blanched riblets back to the pot with about 3 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Let the pork riblets simmer for an hour.
6. While the broth simmers, cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds. Cut the pumpkin into wedges, then into bite-sized chunks.
7. Once the riblets have cooked for an hour, add the pumpkin chunks.
8. Add the fish sauce, bouillon powder, Maggi seasoning, and salt to taste.
9. Simmer until the pumpkin is tender but not falling apart.
10. To serve, ladle generous portions of riblets and pumpkin pieces into bowls and top with broth. Garnish with sliced scallions, watercress or spinach, fresh cracked black pepper, and fried shallots if available.