Spicy, Sour and Sweet: Salmon, Tamarind and Pineapple Soup

    One of my favorite parts of everyday Vietnamese food is the giant communal bowl of soup that adorns each meal. You can eat some soup during any part of the meal, which I tend to do because I like it so much. But usually you spoon some in at the end of the meal, to clean your palate, quench your thirst and sweep away the remaining grains of rice in your bowl. (I am always telling my mother she needs to drink more water, but she thinks all she needs is a little soup for hydration.)

    And the Vietnamese make these soups, or canh, with the simplest of ingredients. Just a few tablespoons of meat or dried shrimp, a little fish sauce, a vegetable, a lot of water and some fresh herbs are all you need to make endless variations of it. The soup serves as cheap and tasty way to encourage more rice-eating to a population which typically gets 3/4 of its calories from rice alone.

But those flashy southerners in Saigon like to make more complicated soups, because they can, with all that produce at their disposal. Take for example, Canh Chua Ca, a sour fish soup which incorporates fish, tomato, pineapple, bean sprouts, herbs,a celery-like vegetable, taro, sugar and spice.  It's "the abundance of the south in a bowl," Andrea Nguyen said in the Wall Street Journal. 

(I did not realize until recently that Southern Vietnamese food is seen as more bombastic and Northern food is considered  "plain". My mom cooks both Northern and Southern food, and I was never aware of which dishes were Northern and which were Southern so I never realized the difference. Like many families, my mother's was forced to move south to Saigon, when the communists took over Hanoi.)

Salmon, Tamarind and Pineapple Soup (Canh Ca Chua) 

I made my own version with the vegetables I had on hand in the fridge.

Serves 4 with rice and as part of a meal with other dishes

1/2 pound salmon skinned and cut into 2 inch chunks (I skinned the fish after I cooked it because I was using a salmon steak. Catfish is traditionally used but any meaty white fish like bass will also do. Shrimp can be used as well, but that takes only 2 minutes to be cooked.)
3 medium-small sized tomatoes (if you are feeling fussy, you can peel them)
1/2 of a medium sized carrot, sliced thin or minced (1 celery rib is usually used)
1 onion diced
2 cloves of garlic minced
1/2 cup napa cabbage sliced (bean sprouts are usually used)
4 1/2 cups water
3/4 teaspoon tamarind paste
1 dried red pepper, or 1-3 chopped and seeded bird eye chilies
3/4 cup pineapple cut into triangle shaped pieces about 1 1/2 inches long
1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons of fish sauce (or more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon sugar ( I like mine lightly sweet but you may want to add a bit more)
1 tablespoon lemongrass chopped fine (very optional)
chopped cilantro or dill for garnish
chopped scallion for garnish
(if you can find rau ram, you should add some of this herb on top)
black pepper

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in soup pot on medium heat. Saute onion, carrot (or celery), garlic and tomato for a few minutes. Add water, sugar, fish sauce, chili pepper, tamarind paste and salt. Bring to a mellow boil. Taste and add more salt or fish sauce. Add cabbage. One minute later add fish and pineapple. Cook for 5 minutes. Add some black pepper. Garnish with plenty of chopped scallion and cilantro.

Comments

[Fadedpaperdoll]

Great blog Michelle. I love Canh Chua and I think I'll try your recipe. I am making thit heo nuong right now and am crossing my fingers. Keep up the good work. Have you checked out An Choi yet?

[Cousin Quyen]

I really like that you used chunks of salmon instead of the traditional catfish. Being careful to not swallow catfish bones always made me avoid it altogether, but the broth is always the best part anyhow! Ill now be able to enjoy the soup with the fish as it should be eaten!

[a.j. kinik]

tell me about rau ram--I'm intrigued

great recipe--thanks

[melina]

this looks AMAZING. must try soon.

[Michelle]

Faded Paper Doll- Ooh, I hope your thit heo was a success. I haven't checked out An Choi, am very curious about it. Have you?

Cuz Quyen- Yes, the broth is definitely the best part. I'm sure your dad makes a mean one. I would be scared to go up against him in a canh chua duel.

A.J.- Rau ram is a green herb- very savory, like a fine salt. Definitely try it if you find it.

Melina- Thanks! Let me know if you do in between the cereal concotions.

[Generic Viagra]

Most edible fruits, in particular, were evolved by plants in order to exploit animals as a means for seed dispersal; and many animals (including humans to some extent) have become dependent on fruits as a source of food

[Ghd hair straightener]

I haven't checked out An Choi, am very curious about it. Have you?
I hope your thit heo was a success.

[dresses sale]

Ill now be able to enjoy the soup with the fish as it should be eaten!

[coach factory outlet]

We like to think of ourselves as one big happy family.*

[ugg shoes]

Oh I do hope to visit some day! What a great place to work!

[Kamagra Gel]

I really hate Vietname food, that's why this soup sounds pretty weird with that ingredients. I really enjoy proving meals from other countries but this soup isn't good.

[Buy Viagra]

It looks delicious, and I guess I've never tough to cook those three things together, I guess that I'll try to cook this at home

[air jordan shoes]

Read to exercise the brain.

[taobao in english]

I can imagine TONS of uses for this

[Air Max 90]

Green Leaf is excellent, imo.

[UGG Boots]

Rarely regularly the folder specializer, more importantly "precious" affair is what it feels like to labor troubles with their notoriety to be handled by lazyness, sets a decrease regard for all columns in an aliment or You might boast that the expert espousal club not care what aspect of website you can rely on the impetus of all those: "To outlive, you should go for the cars that are bosky.

[Taobao English site]

nous n'avon pas la hannuka ici en Brésil..#

[UGG JOSLYN BOOTS]

MISSING FOR YOU....CRYING FOR YOU!NALINALIEKESH.O(∩_∩)O~

[Miami auto repair]

All the secreat is on the spices and fresh vegetables!!

[Florida Certified Public Accountants]

I realy like this kind of restaurats.. I just feel like home, eery ons steng ti tm