Vietnamese Sweet and Sour Fish Soup- “Canh Chua Ca” Recipe

One of our rotating dinner staples in our home is Vietnamese sweet and sour fish soup aka “Canh Chua Ca” . “Canh Ca Chua” is translated as a sour soup.

This soup is homey, super traditional and is typically made with catfish or salmon. It’s also on a constant rotating dinner staple in our house because it’s super easy to make. My mom likes to use a large salmon head which I love because the meat is so tender and a little fatty.

Traditionally tamarind is used to help with the sourness but my parents didn’t always have this on hand so the sourness is achieved with lime juice and pineapple chunks. Sometimes other Vietnamese herbs like đậu bắp or dọc mùng is also used.

Ps- If you’re like me and can’t find taro potatoes, Asian spices and herbs- you can order this along with many other hard to find Asian products from online grocer, Umami Cart. They have everything from Asian snacks to hard-to-find hamachi yellowtail collars.

Ingredients

• 1 lb salmon head (or large catfish steak)

• 1/2 tbs sesame oil

• Sea salt

• White pepper

SOUP BASE

• 4 cups water

• 1 tbs+ tamarind concentrate (optional to taste)

• 1/2 tbsp sugar

• 1 tsp sea salt (or more to taste)

• 1 cup chopped pineapple

• 1 med-large tomato (cut into smaller pieces, cut into quarters and cross cut x3)

• 1 cup okra (optional)

• 1/2 to 1 full lime quartered

• 1/2-1 tbs fish sauce to taste

• 1/2 cup bean sprouts (optional)

• Rice paddy herb (ngo om, chopped, optional if you can’t find)

• 1/4 cup sliced scallions

• 1 cup of dill (loosely chopped)

• 1-2 Thai red chili peppers (thinly sliced)

PREPARATION

1. Wash, rinse and drain fish. If you are using a salmon or white fish head, be sure to remove gills and rinse all blood from head.

2. Rub sesame oil all over the fish to neutralize fish smell. Then lightly sprinkle with white pepper and sea salt.

3. In a medium soup pot, add water and let boil.

4. Add the catfish steaks into water and let lightly boil for 5 min (no lid). Mid-way flip fish so it can cook evenly. Then put lid on and let steam 2-3 additional minutes.

5. When fish is cooked through, add tamarind concentrate, sugar, salt. Then add pineapple, tomatoes and okra (optional). Stir liquid and cook for 2-3 minutes.

6. Add lime juice from quartered lime wedges, taste soup, add fish sauce and adjust seasonings (salt, sugar, tamarind, fish sauce) to taste. If it’s a little sour add sugar and add more salt/umami with more fish sauce.

7. Add and bean sprouts, rice paddy herb, scallions, red thai chili, and dill to garnish.

8. Before serving mix at table and serve hot.