Canh Chua — Sour Soup
Experience the vibrant flavors of Vietnam with this quick and easy Canh Chua recipe. A perfect balance of sweet, sour, and savory in every spoonful.
Canh Chua — Sour Soup
Experience the vibrant flavors of Vietnam with this quick and easy Canh Chua recipe. A perfect balance of sweet, sour, and savory in every spoonful.
Key move
Start with about 1/4 cup tamarind paste to 8 cups broth, then balance it with fish sauce and sugar until the broth tastes clearly sour before the vegetables go in. The finished soup should land bright and savory, with enough pineapple sweetness to round the acid without turning it into a sweet broth.
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The Setup
- Large Pot6-quart
The Mise en Place
5 of 11Your prep station before cooking begins
The Aromatics (0/1)
The Braise (0/4)
Soup is too sour.
Add more sugar to balance the flavors.
Soup is not sour enough.
Add more tamarind paste, a little at a time, until desired sourness is achieved.
Chef's Notes
Add fish sauce at the end to preserve its delicate flavor and aroma. Taste and adjust seasoning before serving.
Serve hot with steamed jasmine rice. Garnish generously with fresh cilantro, mint, and sliced chilies for extra flavor.
Chop all vegetables and aromatics ahead of time. Store them separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator.
The Method
BRING
Bring the vegetable broth (8 cups) to a boil in a large pot.
Vegetable broth is boiling
ADD
Add the tamarind paste (¼ cups), fish sauce (2 tbsp), and sugar (2 tbsp) to the boiling broth. Stir until the tamarind paste is dissolved.
Tamarind paste is dissolved
STIR
Stir in the pineapple (2 cups), tomatoes, and okra (1 cup).
Pineapple, tomatoes, and okra are added
SIMMER
Simmer for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
Vegetables are tender
ADD
Add the bean sprouts (2 cups) and minced garlic (4 cloves). Cook for another minute.
Bean sprouts and garlic are added and cooked for one minute
REMOVE
Remove from heat and stir in the Thai basil (½ cups) and cilantro (½ cups).
Thai basil and cilantro are stirred in
SERVE
Serve hot and enjoy!
Soup is served
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