Name: Vietnamese Sour Soup
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Asian, Vietnamese
Ingredients: 1 (6- to 8-ounce) portion Rockfish, cut into 2-inch chunks; 1 (6 ounce) portion Coho Captain Cuts, skin removed, cut into 2-inch chunks; 1 (8 ounce) package Spot Prawns, peeled, shells reserved for another use; Neutral oil; 3 tomatoes, cut into small wedges; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 cup lemon or lime juice; 3 tablespoons fish sauce, divided; 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar; 1 tablespoon sugar; 2 quarts water; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; 2 cups okra, cleaned and sliced at an angle; 2 cups beansprouts; 3 cups bac ha or celery, sliced at an angle; 1 cup ngo om or Thai basil, roughly chopped; Butter; Thai chili for spice; Steamed white rice, for serving

A Sweet, Spicy, and Sour Seafood Soup for Any Occasion

To celebrate AAPI Heritage Month, the WAC content team talked with Guy Huynh, Vice President of Software Architecture at Wild Alaskan Company. He's also a chef! Guy shared one of his favorite Vietnamese dishes from his youth, Vietnamese sour soup.

"Canh chua is a staple in Vietnamese households. It literally means sour soup and it brings together something spicy and something sweet at the same time," explained Guy. "It’s usually made with a white fish or shrimp."

Guy's recipe for Vietnamese sour soup is made with a medley of wild-caught seafood, including spot prawns, rockfish, and coho salmon. It also contains a few subsitutions that can help make the recipe accessible to anyone, anywhere.

For instance, Vietnamese sour soup is traditionally made with tamarind as a soup base, giving it it's signature sweet-sour flavor profile. "I've come to discover that lemon or lime and a splash of apple cider vinegar makes for a fine substitute, when dried tamarind is not available," said Guy.

Other special ingredients also include bac ha which is the stem of a plant related to taro. You might be able to find this in specialty Asian markets but if not, celery stalks are a good substitute. "We'll also try to find a Vietnamese herb called ngo om, but if that's not available, some Thai basil will do."

Read more about Guy in a recent Q&A where he shares what it was like to hone his cooking chops in culinary school before learning traditional Vietnamese flavors in his mom’s kitchen.

Print Recipe

Vietnamese Sour Soup

By Wild Alaskan Company

Prep time

30 minutes

Cook Time

30 minutes

Total time

30 minutes

Yield

Ingredients

1 (6- to 8-ounce) portion Rockfish, cut into 2-inch chunks
1 (6 ounce) portion Coho Captain Cuts, skin removed, cut into 2-inch chunks
1 (8 ounce) package Spot Prawns, peeled, shells reserved for another use
Neutral oil
3 tomatoes, cut into small wedges
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup lemon or lime juice
3 tablespoons fish sauce, divided
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 quarts water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups okra, cleaned and sliced at an angle
2 cups beansprouts
3 cups bac ha or celery, sliced at an angle
1 cup ngo om or Thai basil, roughly chopped
Butter
Thai chili for spice
Steamed white rice, for serving

Instructions

1. In a large, heavy bottomed pot, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add tomatoes and garlic and cook gently until fragrant, about 5 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic.

2. Add a splash of water and lemon/lime juice to deglaze the pot, then stir in 2 tablespoons fish sauce, sugar, and vinegar. Simmer for 2 minutes, then add 2 quarts water. Bring back to a simmer, then season to taste.

3. While the soup simmers, prepare the seafood. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-low heat with remaining tablespoon fish sauce. Add spot prawns and gently saute, spooning the hot buttery liquid over the prawns until opaque on the outside, about 1 minute per side. Do not overcook. Remove the prawns and set aside. Add rockfish to the pan and saute in the same fashion, adding neutral oil if pan is looking dry. Set aside and repeat with salmon.

4. Bring the soup to a boil, adding more water if has reduced too much. Adjust seasoning as desired, then add in all vegetables, herbs, and seafood. Cook for 1 minute to allow flavors to meld, then remove from heat.

5. Ladle a generous amount of broth and vegetables over steamed white rice. Optionally garnish with Thai chili. Serve piping hot.

Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of food-borne illness, especially if you have a certain medical condition. The FDA recommends an internal temperature of 145°F for cooked fish.

Vietnamese Sour Soup with Spot Prawns and Fish

A Sweet, Spicy, and Sour Seafood Soup for Any Occasion

Vietnamese Sour Soup

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