
Vietnamese Sour Fish Soup
Vietnamese Sour Fish Soup
Vietnamese Sour Fish Soup (Canh Chua Ca)
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After you bring the soup to a boil, turn to medium heat and add in the tomatoes, celery (or taro stems), okra, and pineapples and continue to boil. Boil on medium for another 15 minutes or until the fish is completely cooked and the vegetables have softened. You can almost consider this a quick boil soup.


Cook time: 30 mins on medium heat
Total time: 1 hour
Serves: 6 bowls
- 2 large fish heads, halved (or use fish tails)
- 2-3 stalks of celery (or Vietnamese taro stem), chopped
- 2 tomatoes, quartered
- 1 cup of pineapple chunks (canned is OK)
- 1 cup of bean sprouts
- 1 cup of okra, chopped
- 1 shallot, minced
- 5 cloves of garlic, minced
- 3 slices of fresh ginger
- 2-3 stalks of fresh green onions, diced
- 2-3 stalks of fresh lemon grass, chopped
- fresh parsley
- 2 tbsp of tamarind
- fish sauce, to taste
- 3L of water
- In your soup pot, add a tablespoon of oil and fry the shallots, garlic, ginger, fresh green onions, and fresh lemon grass.
- When fragrant, throw in clean fish parts and pan fry until the skin is golden and crispy.
- Fill the pot to 3/4 full (or about 3L worth of water)
- Bring to a boil and turn to medium head, scooping out any oil or foam on top.
- Throw in tomatoes, pineapples, celery (or taro stems), and okra and let simmer for 15 minutes until the fish is completely cooked or the vegetables are soft.
- Taste soup and add fish sauce as needed.
- Add bean sprouts to boil for 1-2 minutes and serve. Garnish with fresh parsley.