Home Cook Together. Celebrate Life.

VietnameseAuthentic Cuisine

Vietnamese Fish Soup

Serves 4 to 6 Soup seafood, Soups

Vietnamese Fish Soup

Vietnamese Fish Soup is a staple of home kitchens, prepared with the ease and intuition of a family cook's practiced hand. This dish, often enjoyed at family gatherings, reflects the essence of Vietnamese home cooking—where salt is judged by feel and olive oil is used with generosity. It's a recipe passed down and adapted, yet always served with the intent of bringing people together around the table.

The soup carries a bright, refreshing flavor profile, with firm white fish and the tang of lemon cutting through the richness of tomatoes and olive oil. Its simple ingredients belie a depth of taste that is both comforting and invigorating, making it an ideal dish for sharing with loved ones.

Ingredients

  • 700 gfirm white fish
  • 1onion
  • 2tomatoes
  • 1.5 Lwater
  • 80 mlolive oil
  • 1lemon
  • to tastefine sea salt and black pepper

Method

  1. Begin by preparing your ingredients. Thinly slice 1 onion and set aside. Cut 2 tomatoes into wedges and set aside separately. Ensure your 700 g firm white fish is cleaned and cut into large chunks, about 4-5 cm each.
  2. In a large pot, heat 80 ml olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the sliced onion. Stir gently, allowing the onion to soften and become translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Be careful not to let the onion brown, as this can alter the flavor of the soup.
  3. Add the tomato wedges to the pot with the softened onions. Stir occasionally, cooking until the tomatoes start to break down and release their juices, which should take about 5 minutes. This will create a fragrant base that will enhance the flavor of the soup.
  4. Pour in 1.5 L of water and increase the heat to bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer. Add the fish chunks carefully, ensuring they are submerged in the liquid. Simmer gently to avoid breaking the fish, cooking until the fish turns opaque and flakes easily with a fork, indicating it's cooked through.
  5. Season the soup with fine sea salt and black pepper to taste. The right amount of salt will balance the flavors and enhance the natural sweetness of the fish and tomatoes.
  6. Finish the soup by squeezing the juice of 1 lemon into the pot, stirring gently to combine. The lemon juice will add a fresh, tangy brightness to the soup, complementing the rich flavors. Serve the soup hot, ideally with a side of steamed rice or crusty bread for a complete meal.
Cover of Authentic Vietnamese Cuisine
From the cookbook

Authentic Vietnamese Cuisine

This recipe is from Authentic Vietnamese Cuisine by Yassine Sbiti — the Vietnamese volume in the ComidaTime International Cuisines series.

Available soon on Amazon…

Explore Vietnamese cuisine