Half An Hour Sour Soup: Canh Chua Recipe

Ingredients & Cooking Directions for Canh Chua - Vietnamese Sour Soup

Estimated Servings: 4

Step 1: Fry the Garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped garlic

Pour oil into a small pot or pan and turn the heat on medium. Once the oil is hot, add in garlic and stir it around until lightly golden brown and fragrant. Be sure not to overcook or burn garlic or it will taste bitter. Finally pour the garlic into a small bowl and set it aside.

Step 2: Prepare the Broth

8 cups water
2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
40 grams tamarind soup base mix
1 inch piece ginger
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
1 pound catfish fillets

Turn your stove on to high heat and place a large pot of water on the stove. Then add in the chicken broth and allow everything to come to a boil, which will take about 5 minutes. While waiting for the broth to come to a boil, cut a couple of slits in the ginger. Once the broth comes to a boil, add in the sugar, salt, ginger, shallots, tamarind soup base, and fish to the broth. Next, allow the broth to come to a boil (about 5 minutes of cooking); then turn the heat down to medium.

Step 3: Add Fruits & Vegetables

2 medium tomatoes
2 cups pineapple chunks
10 okras
1 large taro stem (Bạc Hà or Dọc Mùng) or celery 
2 tablespoons fish sauce

Peel the outer green layer off the taro stem and slice it at a diagonal into about ½ inch slices. Then cut the 2 ends off the okras and cut them up into 1 inch pieces. Make sure that pineapples are cut into 1 inch chunks. Now add in all the fruits, vegetables, and fish sauce into the broth and allow it to cook for about 5 minutes or until you see it come back to a boil. Make sure to check on the fish periodically to ensure that it is fully cooked but not overcooked. This is also a good time to check on the seasoning of the soup. If it is too salty add in more sugar, and if it is too sweet, add in more fish sauce until it is to your desired taste.

Step 4: Garnish the Soup

1 ½ cups bean sprouts
Jalapeno slices
¼ cup chopped rice paddy herb (Ngổ Ôm) or basil 
½ teaspoon black pepper

To serve the soup, add some bean sprouts and jalapeno slices to a serving bowl. Then pour in the soup with the vegetables, fruit and fish on top of the bean sprouts and top it off with the chopped rice paddy herb, fried garlic and black pepper.

This soup can be served with steamed rice and caramelized catfish (ca kho to).