Modern Canh Chua Vietnamese Sour Soup (Printable Version)
A vibrant Vietnamese sour soup with fresh fish, tangy pineapple, and aromatic herbs, ready in 40 minutes.
# What You Need:
→ Protein
01 - 14 oz white fish fillets (catfish, tilapia, or bass), cut into bite-sized pieces
→ Vegetables & Fruit
02 - 1 medium tomato, cut into wedges
03 - 1 cup pineapple, cut into bite-sized pieces
04 - 2 cups bean sprouts, rinsed
05 - 1 small okra, sliced
06 - 1 stalk celery, sliced on a bias
07 - 1 small red chili, sliced
→ Broth & Aromatics
08 - 5 cups water or unsalted fish stock
09 - 2 tablespoons tamarind paste
10 - 1 tablespoon fish sauce
11 - 1 tablespoon sugar
12 - 1 teaspoon salt
13 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
14 - 2 shallots, finely sliced
→ Herbs & Garnishes
15 - 1 handful fresh Thai basil leaves
16 - 1 handful fresh coriander (cilantro), roughly chopped
17 - 2 scallions, thinly sliced
18 - 1 tablespoon fried shallots
19 - Lime wedges, for serving
# How To Make:
01 - Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté minced garlic and sliced shallots until fragrant and lightly golden, approximately 2 minutes.
02 - Pour in water or fish stock. Whisk in tamarind paste, sugar, salt, and fish sauce. Stir thoroughly and bring to a gentle boil.
03 - Add tomatoes, pineapple, okra, and celery to the boiling broth. Simmer for 5 minutes until vegetables are tender-crisp.
04 - Gently place fish pieces into the simmering liquid. Cook for 3-4 minutes until fish becomes opaque and flakes easily.
05 - Taste broth and adjust with additional fish sauce, salt, or sugar to achieve harmonious sweet-sour-salty equilibrium.
06 - Stir in bean sprouts and sliced chili. Simmer for 1 minute, then immediately remove from heat to preserve crunch.
07 - Ladle soup into serving bowls. Generously top with Thai basil, coriander, scallions, and fried shallots. Accompany with fresh lime wedges.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The broth achieves that restaurant quality tangy depth without hours of simmering
- Fresh fish cooks in minutes, keeping it impossibly tender and never rubbery
02 -
- The fish continues cooking in the hot broth even after you remove it from heat, so undercook slightly rather than risk tough, overcooked pieces
- Tamarind intensity varies wildly between brands, always start with less than the recipe calls for and add more gradually
03 -
- Cut your fish into slightly larger pieces than you think necessary, they shrink during cooking
- Make extra broth and store it separately, it tastes even better the next day