Name: Canh lá bép — Central Highlands pork and leaf soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 43 min
Cuisine: Vietnam
Ingredients: 300 g pork belly, skin removed, cut into 5 mm slices; 400 g young food-grade lá bép / rau nhíp leaves, sorted, washed and drained; 1.5 L water; 20 g shallot, thinly sliced; 20 ml fish sauce, divided; 2 g fine salt, divided; 1 g ground black pepper, divided; 250 g dry jasmine rice, rinsed; 375 ml water, or the amount stated on the rice package

Wide view of Canh lá bép on a wooden table, with the soup bowl to the right and jasmine rice to the left. — A wide table setting of Canh lá bép and steamed jasmine rice.

Yield 4 servings

Cook time 25 minutes

Passive time 3 minutes

Total time 43 minutes

Calories per serving about 645 kcal

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Canh lá bép — Central Highlands pork and leaf soup

Canh lá bép is a simple soup associated with communities of Vietnam’s Central Highlands. Lá bép, also called rau nhíp in some places, refers to the young edible leaves of Gnetum gnemon var. griffithii. Regional sources describe their tender texture and gently sweet, nutty character, and document soups made with fish or meat. This practical home version pairs the leaves with pork belly and a bowl of jasmine rice.

Recipes vary between households and communities. This is the light leaf soup, not the separate M’nông canh bột or biêp êpai preparation made with rice flour and pounded leaves. Buy leaves clearly identified for food; the name is not a reason to forage or substitute an ornamental plant.

Practical

Tips for successChoose tender young leaves sold as lá bép or rau nhíp for cooking; remove any tough stems. Keep the pork slices thin and similar in thickness so they cook evenly in the broth. Add the leaves only after the pork is cooked, then simmer until fully wilted and tender.

Ingredients

Soup

300 g pork belly, skin removed, cut into 5 mm slices
400 g young food-grade lá bép / rau nhíp leaves, sorted, washed and drained
1.5 L water
20 g shallot, thinly sliced
20 ml fish sauce, divided
2 g fine salt, divided
1 g ground black pepper, divided

To serve

250 g dry jasmine rice, rinsed
375 ml water, or the amount stated on the rice package

Method

Rinse the rice until the water is mostly clear. Cook it with 375 ml water in a rice cooker or lidded saucepan according to the package directions; keep hot.
Keep the pork refrigerated until you are ready to cook. Wash the leaves thoroughly under running water, remove tough stems and drain. Use a separate board and knife for raw pork; wash your hands and tools after handling it.
Bring 1.5 L fresh water to a boil in a large pot. Add the pork and shallot. Return to a gentle boil, then simmer for 12–18 minutes, skimming foam as needed; the time depends on slice thickness.
Season with 15 ml fish sauce, 1 g salt and 0.5 g pepper. Use a clean thermometer to check several of the thickest pork slices: they must reach at least 63°C. If using ground or mechanically tenderized pork, cook it to 71°C instead.
Add the washed leaves by handfuls and stir them under the broth. Simmer uncovered for 4–6 minutes, until fully wilted and tender. Do not serve the leaves raw.
Add the remaining 5 ml fish sauce, 1 g salt and 0.5 g pepper. Taste the broth, then turn off the heat and let the soup stand for 3 minutes. Serve hot with rice.

Practical

Practical guidance

Leaf tenderness and pork-belly richness vary. Thin slices cook quickly; keep the soup at a gentle boil and use the thermometer rather than relying on time alone. The measured seasoning is intentionally modest so the leaf’s mild sweetness remains clear. Fish-sauce brands differ in saltiness, so check the label. Refrigerate leftover soup and rice separately in shallow containers within 2 hours. Keep them at or below 4°C and use within 3–4 days. Reheat leftovers throughout to 74°C. For the best texture, cook only the leaves you plan to serve immediately.

Troubleshooting

The broth tastes too salty: Add a little hot water and serve with the rice; check the fish-sauce label next time. The leaves are tough: They may be mature leaves or have been cooked too briefly. Simmer until tender; next time choose younger leaves. The pork is unevenly cooked: Slice it to a consistent 5 mm thickness and check more than one thick piece with the thermometer.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use fish instead of pork? Fish is also documented in regional leaf soups, but changing the protein changes this measured version. Use a firm fish, cook it to 63°C and add it near the end so it does not break apart. Can I use older leaves? This recipe is written for tender young leaves. Older leaves can be tougher and may belong in other local preparations; do not assume the same cooking time or method.

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

Serving sizeabout 700 g, soup plus cooked rice
Caloriesabout 645 kcal
Carbohydrateabout 55 g
Proteinabout 14 g
Fatabout 41 g
Fibreabout 3 g
Sodiumabout 630 mg

Allergens and food safety

Contains fish through the fish sauce. Check product labels for fish and possible cross-contact. Keep raw pork refrigerated at or below 4°C and use separate utensils for the washed leaves. Whole-cut pork must reach at least 63°C and rest for 3 minutes; ground or mechanically tenderized pork must reach 71°C. Use only leaves identified and sold as food-grade lá bép / rau nhíp, wash them thoroughly and cook until fully wilted. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and reheat to 74°C.

To finish

Ladle the soup into warm bowls and serve the rice alongside.
Keep any leftover rice separate from the broth so each stays pleasant when reheated.

Canh lá bép — Central Highlands pork and leaf soup

Practical

Ingredients

Soup

To serve

Method

Practical

Practical guidance

Troubleshooting

Frequently asked questions

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

Allergens and food safety

To finish

Vietnamese National Dishes

Hoành thánh chiên Hội An — Hoi An fried wontons

Hủ tiếu Sa Đéc — Sa Đéc rice-noodle soup

Canh cà đắng — Central Highlands bitter eggplant soup