Vietnamese Canh Chua Soup (Printable)

Tangy-sweet Vietnamese fish soup with pineapple, tomatoes, and aromatic herbs.

# What You'll Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 1.1 lbs 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 oz bean sprouts
06 - 5.3 oz 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 - ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

→ Fresh Herbs

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

# Directions:

01 - Heat a splash of oil in a large 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, ensuring seasonings dissolve completely.
03 - Add pineapple chunks, tomato wedges, sliced okra, celery (or elephant ear stem), and chilies. Simmer for 5–7 minutes until vegetables are just tender-crisp.
04 - Gently place fish chunks into simmering broth (add shrimp if using). Cook for 5–7 minutes until seafood is opaque and just cooked through, being careful not to overcook.
05 - Add 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 notes.
06 - Remove pot from heat immediately. Gently stir in Thai basil, sawtooth coriander, and cilantro, allowing residual heat to wilt herbs slightly.
07 - Ladle hot soup into bowls. Garnish with additional fresh herbs and lime wedges. Accompany with steamed jasmine rice or vermicelli noodles.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The interplay of sweet, sour, and salty hits every craving at once, making it impossible to stop at just one bowl
  • It comes together surprisingly quickly for something that tastes like it simmered all day
  • The fresh herbs and aromatics make each spoonful feel refreshing rather than heavy
02 -
  • The tamarind paste can vary wildly in intensity, always start with less and add more as you taste
  • Fish continues to cook after you remove it from heat, so pull it when it's just barely done
  • Adding all the herbs at the end instead of cooking them preserves their bright, fresh flavor completely
03 -
  • Toast your garlic and onion in a little more oil than you think you need, that infused fat becomes part of the soup's flavor base
  • If your pineapple isn't very sweet, add an extra half tablespoon of sugar to compensate
  • Cut your fish into generous chunks, they shrink slightly as they cook

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