Vietnamese Sweet & Sour Soup with Salmon (Canh Chua)

Soup is not the first thing you think of when you think of summer, but in Vietnam, it feels like summer all year round. If I were to choose a “summer soup” in Vietnamese cuisine, it would be canh chua. Canh chua was a staple in my household growing up, and it was often served with another yummy dish – ca kho to or Vietnamese carmelized catfish. I seriously always looked forward to it because no matter what time of the year it was, it always felt refreshing and healthy.

Adapting this recipe in the West

There are a ton of variations of Canh Chua in Vietnam made with a combination of different fish and vegetables. And every family has their own version. This version here is my mom’s modern take on this dish. One of the challenges of making this dish in Western countries is access to ingredients. Unfortunately, ingredients like bean sprouts and elephant ear stalks are not always readily available. So Vietnamese people like my mom have had to adapt.

Growing up, she still made canh chua with the traditional ingredients, but recently, she created this recipe to use what was available to her. If you want to make this soup the traditional way, I also have a traditional canh chua recipe on the blog!

Some details about key ingredients

• Salmon – This is the main protein in the dish. Normally, we use catfish for this dish, but salmon is more readily available at local stores.
• Chicken stock – Chicken stock adds some saltiness to the broth. I would recommend using a low sodium chicken stock because the tamarind soup mix has some salt in it already.
• Tamarind soup mix – This soup mix is the core part of canh chua. I like using soup mix because it is easily accessible, but traditionally, fresh tamarind is used. If you choose to use fresh tamarind, make sure to soak the pulp in 1/4 cup of boiling water and then strain it through a fine mesh sieve into the broth. You can use the boiling water from the broth for this.
• Celery – This is a substitute for elephant ear stalks which is the traditional ingredient. Use elephant stalks if you can find it.
• Tomatoes – Tomatoes are one of the traditional ingredients used in this recipe. It adds sweetness and color to the broth. You can use any kind of tomatoes, but I love roma tomatoes the best.
• Pineapple – Pineapples add sweetness to the broth. You can use fresh or canned pineapples, but my mom likes to use canned pineapple because they come with that sweet syrup. The syrup helps add more sweetness to the soup.

Tips on how to make the perfect canh chua

Boil the salmon to get rid of the fishy taste

Salmon often has an unsavory fish flavor that can throw off the balance of a broth. The best way to get rid of that flavor is to boil some water and let it cook for 5 seconds. That brief cooking time eliminates that fishy flavor.

Adjust the flavor to your tastes

Try the broth before you serve it. If it is too salty, add some sugar. If it is too sweet, add some salt. The key to this broth is a balance of both salty and sweet.

How do you use fresh tamarind?

Traditionally, this soup is made with fresh tamarind. I like to use tamarind soup mix because it’s easier to find and easier to use. Fresh tamarind has a solid shell with seeds and pulp on the inside. If you choose to use tamarind, add it to a bowl with boiling water. Then strain it through a fine mesh sieve into your broth.

What do you serve canh chua with?

This soup is typically served with white rice and Vietnamese caramelized catfish (ca kho to). You can also serve it with other grains like brown rice, red rice, or quinoa.

Did you make this dish?

If you made this dish, I would love to see!

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