In southern Vietnam, there are sunny and rainy seasons. When it starts to rain, people put on their raincoats and their ponchos, and continue on with whatever they were doing. During rainy season, the rain doesn’t simply come occasionally – it comes every day, multiple times on some days.

Children have a chance to wash, get wet, and get wild under the rain. They run after each other, laughing, jumping, splashing rain water on each other until they start to shiver. Warm soup was prepared by their parents for when the children returned to the house where they would dry off and get dressed.

The steaming soup would often already be on the kitchen tables. Chicken consommé or pureed seafood pumpkin soup are comfort food for a cold day.

In Edmonton, in the cold months, and on the weekends, I usually make a big pot of scallop pumpkin soup – my favorite soup for cold weather. I like to put this soup in a crystal cup to warm my hands and warm my soul with the rich orange colour and fragrance of basil and pepper.

I like to put this soup in a crystal cup to warm my hands and warm my soul with the rich orange colour and fragrance of basil and pepper.

Here is the recipe for you to try. You can substitute the scallop with your favorite protein.

Vietnamese Scallop Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients
5 cups chicken stock
4 cups pumpkin, diced
1 cup small scallops
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup coconut milk*
1 teaspoon fresh basil, finely chopped
Ground black pepper for taste.

Directions
Bring the chicken stock, pumpkin, scallop, onion, and garlic to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the pumpkin cubes are tender.

Puree the soup and bring to a boil again. Stir in coconut milk.*

Remove from heat and pour into soup bowls.

Garnish with fresh basil and ground pepper for taste. Serve hot.

*You can stir in the coconut milk at the end of cooking, or add it with minced basil and ground pepper.

Nhan is originally from Vietnam and owns Pacific Cafe and Cooking School (10874 97 Street).