Purple Yam Soup with Shrimp and Chicken

One of the Vietnamese dishes that I remember my mom used to prepare for us is purple yam soup or "canh khoai mo". In Vietnam we grew up with this hearty soup, for which it is served throughout our country for rich or poor people. The main ingredient in this soup is purple yam, but you can add fresh shrimp, pork, or chicken to make it fancier and flavorful or just use dried shrimp and water because that is the least expensive way to create this soup. I love this soup, and it is very easy to prepare.

Ingredients:
1 lb. fresh purple yams or 450 gr grated frozen
2 chicken breasts minced
1/4 cup dried shrimp
2 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 shallots minced
1/4 white part of green onion
1 tsp sugar
4 cups chicken broth
3 cups of water
Garnish with "rau ngo om", green onions, or chives

Directions:
In a 6 quart pot over medium heat, add olive oil, shallots, and the white part of green onion. Sauté' for about 5 minutes or until it's fragrant. Add in chicken and dried shrimp. Stir around and cook for another 7 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and ground black pepper. Add chicken broth and water, and bring to a boil. Add the purple yam and use a wooden spoon to break the yam, so it will not stick together. Simmer until the yam and meat are cooked and well flavored. Season again at this point with sugar.
Ladle into the soup bowl, top with garnishes, and serve