Vietnamese Canh Chua Soup (Printer-friendly)

Vibrant Vietnamese soup with fish, pineapple, and fresh herbs in a tangy-sweet broth.

# What You'll Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 1.1 pounds white fish fillets (catfish, tilapia, or basa), cut into chunks
02 - 8 large shrimp, peeled and deveined

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

03 - 2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
04 - 1 small pineapple, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
05 - 5.3 ounces bean sprouts
06 - 5.3 ounces okra, sliced
07 - 2 stalks celery or elephant ear stem (bạc hà), sliced
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 1 small onion, sliced
10 - 2 birds eye chilies, sliced

→ Broth & Seasonings

11 - 6.3 cups water or fish stock
12 - 3 tablespoons fish sauce
13 - 2 tablespoons tamarind paste
14 - 1 tablespoon sugar
15 - 1 teaspoon salt
16 - ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

→ Fresh Herbs

17 - 0.7 ounces fresh Thai basil leaves
18 - 0.7 ounces sawtooth coriander (ngo gai), chopped
19 - 0.35 ounces fresh cilantro, chopped
20 - Lime wedges, for serving

# How to Prepare:

01 - Heat a splash of oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Sauté the minced garlic and sliced onion until fragrant and translucent, approximately 2 minutes.
02 - Pour in the water or fish stock. Add the tamarind paste, fish sauce, sugar, and salt. Stir thoroughly to dissolve the tamarind paste and bring the mixture to a gentle boil.
03 - Add the pineapple pieces, tomato wedges, sliced okra, celery (or elephant ear stem), and birds eye chilies to the boiling broth. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes until vegetables are just tender.
04 - Gently place the fish chunks and shrimp (if using) into the simmering soup. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes until the seafood is just cooked through and opaque. Avoid overcooking to maintain texture.
05 - Stir in the bean sprouts and cook for 1 minute to maintain their crisp texture. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning as needed with additional fish sauce, sugar, or lime juice to achieve the signature sweet-sour-salty balance.
06 - Remove the pot from heat. Gently fold in the Thai basil leaves, chopped sawtooth coriander, and fresh cilantro, allowing the residual heat to wilt the herbs slightly.
07 - Ladle the hot soup into individual bowls. Garnish with additional fresh herbs and serve with lime wedges on the side for diners to squeeze into their portions.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The perfect harmony of sour, sweet, and salty tastes like a vacation in a bowl without leaving your kitchen
  • Ready in under 45 minutes but tastes like it simmered all day
  • Fresh herbs at the end make every spoonful feel vibrant and alive
02 -
  • The secret is adding delicate vegetables and herbs at different times so nothing turns to mush
  • Taste and adjust the broth before adding seafood, since fish releases its own saltiness
  • Herbs lose their magic quickly, so add them at the very last moment off the heat
03 -
  • Dissolve tamarind paste in a small amount of warm water before adding to prevent clumps
  • Cut fish into generous chunks, they shrink slightly as they cook
  • Let the soup rest for five minutes off the heat before serving to let flavors marry

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