Vietnamese

Canh Chua (Vietnamese Sour Soup)

Name: Canh Chua (Vietnamese Sour Soup)
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 3 servings
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 1 lb white fish steaks (catfish or tilapia); 2 tbsp tamarind paste or pulp; 1/2 pineapple, cut into chunks; 2 tomatoes, cut into wedges; 1 cup elephant ear stalks (bạc hà), peeled and sliced; 1 cup okra, halved diagonally; 1 cup fresh bean sprouts; 2 tbsp fish sauce; 1 tbsp sugar; Rice paddy herb (ngò ôm) and sawtooth coriander (ngò gai)

A tamarind-flavored sour soup often made with fish from the Mekong Delta.

45 minutes

Serves 3

Soup

Contains common allergens

Fish Seafood

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Instructions

6 steps

1
Prepare Tamarind: Soak tamarind paste in 1/2 cup of hot water. Mash with a spoon, then strain through a fine mesh sieve to extract the sour liquid, discarding the seeds and fibers.

2
Cook Fish: In a medium pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Gently add the fish steaks. Simmer for 5 minutes until the fish is just cooked through. Remove the fish carefully and set aside to prevent overcooking.
3
Build the Broth: Add the tamarind liquid, pineapple chunks, and tomatoes to the simmering fish broth. Cook for 5 minutes until the pineapple releases its sweetness.
4
Season: Season the broth heavily with fish sauce and sugar. The broth must strike a perfect balance between vividly sour and pleasantly sweet.
5
Add Vegetables: Stir in the elephant ear stalks and okra. Simmer for just 2 minutes so they retain their crunch.
6
Finish and Serve: Return the fish to the pot to warm through. Turn off the heat, stir in the bean sprouts, and generously garnish with chopped rice paddy herb and sawtooth coriander. Serve immediately with steamed rice.

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