Vietnamese Canh Chua Soup (Printable View)

Vibrant tangy-sweet Vietnamese soup with fish, pineapple, tomatoes, and aromatic herbs in 40 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Seafood

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

→ 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 (optional)

→ 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 - 0.5 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 Make It:

01 - Heat a splash of oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Sauté minced garlic and sliced onion until fragrant, approximately 2 minutes.
02 - Pour in water or fish stock. Stir in tamarind paste, fish sauce, sugar, and salt. Bring mixture to a gentle boil, stirring until seasonings dissolve completely.
03 - Add pineapple pieces, tomato wedges, sliced okra, celery or elephant ear stem, and chilies. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes until vegetables are just tender.
04 - Carefully add fish chunks and shrimp if using. Simmer gently for 5 to 7 minutes until seafood is just cooked through. Avoid vigorous boiling to prevent breaking up the fish.
05 - Stir in bean sprouts and cook for 1 minute. Taste broth and adjust seasoning with additional fish sauce, sugar, or lime juice to achieve balanced sweet, sour, and salty flavors.
06 - Remove pot from heat. Gently fold in Thai basil leaves, sawtooth coriander, and cilantro, allowing herbs to wilt slightly in residual heat.
07 - Ladle hot soup into bowls. Garnish with extra fresh herbs and serve with lime wedges on the side. Accompany with steamed jasmine rice or vermicelli noodles.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The broth hits every note on your palate at once, that magical sweet-sour-salty trinity Vietnamese cuisine does so brilliantly
  • It comes together in under an hour but tastes like something that simmered all day
  • Fresh herbs wilting into hot soup might be one of the most underrated sensory experiences in cooking
02 -
  • Don't let the fish boil vigorously or it'll fall apart, a gentle simmer is all you need
  • The flavor balance shifts as it sits, so always taste and adjust right before serving
  • Fresh herbs lose their magic quickly, add them at the very last moment and never reheat them
03 -
  • If you can't find tamarind paste, soak tamarind pulp in warm water and squeeze out the liquid, then strain
  • The soup tastes even better the next day, so consider making a double batch and keeping some for leftovers
  • Elephant ear stem (bạc hà) adds an authentic subtle sassafras flavor that really elevates the dish if you can find it at an Asian market

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