Vietnamese Sweet & Sour Tamarind Soup with Salmon (Canh Chua Cá Hồi)

A typical homecooked Vietnamese meal is incomplete without soup. There are many soups in Vietnamese cooking that are served as a side dish to steamed rice.

Some are mild in flavor like chayote squash soup with minced shrimp (canh su su nau tom bam) or pork spare rib soup with potatoes, carrots and cauliflower (canh suon khoa tay). Others are bold in flavors such as Vietnamese sweet and sour soup (canh chua).

Vietnamese Sour Tamarind Soup with Salmon (Canh Chua Cá Hồi)

Vietnamese sweet and sour soup (canh chua) is typically made with fish but you can also use shrimp, pork, chicken and even tofu. These proteins are cooked with loads of fresh and colorful vegetables in a sweet tamarind-flavored broth.

Typical vegetables for this soup include pineapples, Indian taro stems, okra, bean sprouts and tomatoes. But there is no set rule. Simply use your favorite combination of vegetables or whatever you have on hand.

What’s equally important is the garnish. I must have fried garlic, sliced fresh chili peppers and at least one of the following: Thai basil, cilantro, culantro (ngo gai) or rice paddy herbs (ngo om). The last two are harder to find but if you can get your hands on those, the amazing aroma and exotic flavor is worth the hunt.

In this particular recipe, I’m making sweet and sour soup with salmon fillets, Indian taro stems, tomatoes, and enoki mushroom, all garnished with fried garlic and sliced Thai Basil.

Everything comes together in under 30 minutes. Recipe below. Enjoy!

Related Post: The Guide to Cooking Perfectly Steamed Rice: Asian Kid Edition

Vietnamese Sour Tamarind Soup with Salmon (Canh Chua Cá Hồi)

Other Sweet & Sour Soups You May Enjoy

Pompano Fish and Sour Bamboo Soup
Make Hot Pot at Home: Simple Thai-Style Tom Yum Hot Pot
Sweet & Sour Shrimp Soup with Taro Stems
Fish Soup with Pickled Mustard Green

Popular Fish Dishes to Complete the Meal

Vietnamese Grilled or Baked Snakehead Fish
Easy Pan-Fried Teriyaki Salmon
Crispy Pan-Fried Red Tilapia Fish
Braised & Caramelized Catfish

Vietnamese Sour Tamarind Soup with Salmon (Canh Chua Ca Hoi)

Serves 4-5

Ingredients

Fish

• 12 oz salmon fillet
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce

Soup

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 5 cups water or unsalted vegetable/chicken stock

Soup Seasonings

• 1 tablespoon tamarind powder
• 2 tablespoons chicken stock powder
• 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Vegetables

• 10 oz tomatoes (cut into halves or quarters)
• 7 oz Indian taro stems (remove outer fiber and slice thin at a diagonal)
• 5 oz enoki mushroom (remove stems and break apart into small pieces) or bean sprouts
• 1 cup Thai Basil leaves (slice thinly)
• Chili peppers (slice thinly)

Instructions

1. Marinate salmon fillets with fish sauce for at least 15 minutes. Set aside.
2. In a medium-size pot, heat up vegetable oil on medium-high. Add garlic and saute until golden brown. Remove half from the pot and set aside as garnish.
3. To the pot with the oil and remaining garlic, add water or unsalted stock. Be careful as water and oil will splatter. Bring the pot to a boil.
4. Add salmon and cook for 15 minutes on a low simmer.
5. Season soup with tamarind powder, chicken stock powder, sugar, and salt.
6. Add tomatoes, Indian taro stems, enoki mushroom, and bean sprouts. When the mixture comes to a boil, immediately turn off heat.
7. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with basil, chili peppers, and fried garlic.

Vietnamese Sour Tamarind Soup with Salmon (Canh Chua Cá Hồi)