Simple Fish Soup with Vietnamese Coriander
Sep 20, 2024 12:46 PM
This simple fish soup with Vietnamese coriander from the Central region of Vietnam highlights the natural taste of fresh seawater fish and the distinct fragrance of rau răm. It is a light and refreshing soup to make for family dinners.
In Vietnam, Danang is also very famous for its seafood cuisine, not just for banh xeo or mi Quang. The staff at our favorite longstanding seafood restaurant Danang suggested this soup to us, explaining it was a great way to enjoy white-fleshed seawater fish there.
The fresh fish is cooked just enough to maintain its tender texture and delicate flavor while imparting the broth with a clean, briny essence reminiscent of the ocean.
The restaurant used a whole fish called cá nâu and we used one called cá dìa preparing the soup at home. Both types of fish have fairly round, slightly flat shape, and mildly sweet, lean and meaty white flesh. They aren’t too large, about 8 oz for a whole fish. I highly recommend using a seawater fish available at your local grocery stores with similar flavor and texture profile. If whole fish is not an option, you can use fish steaks.
Complementing the fish is rau răm, or Vietnamese coriander, which adds an aromatic note to the soup. This herb has a distinctive, peppery, and slightly citrusy fragrance that neutralizes overwhelming fishy smell, giving the soup a clean and refreshing taste. You should add it toward the end of the cooking process to ensure it retains its fresh and vibrant aroma.
The broth itself is kept simple, seasoned with just a bit of salt and pepper. I recommend using fish stock for a deeper, more umami flavor. We often make fish stock from simmering fish bones or dried anchovies. Alternatively, you can also use kombu stock as the base for the soup.
Ingredients:
- 2 whole white-fleshed fish, 8 oz each, cleaned and gutted (or fish steaks)
- 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and cut into thick slices
- 4 small to medium shallots, peeled and divided
- 1 tablespoon rice wine or sake
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- cooking oil
- white parts of 2 scallion stalks
- 5 cups fish stock or kombu stock
- 1-2 bird's eye chili, thinly sliced (remove seeds if you don't want too much spiciness)
- 1½ cups Vietnamese coriander leaves, roughly chopped
Prep Time:
10 minutes
Cook Time:
10 minutes
Total Time:
20 minutes
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