Vietnamese · dinner, lunch

Canh Chua Cá (Vietnamese Sweet and Sour Fish Soup)

Canh Chua Cá (Vietnamese Sweet and Sour Fish Soup) — from Helen's Recipes's cooking video Watch how it’s made · 7:39

Video by Helen's Recipes on YouTube · Open on YouTube

45 minServes 6188 kcal a serve
  • Gluten-free with a swap: Check the fish sauce and stock powder are gluten-free
  • Dairy-free
  • Nut-free

Contains: Gluten, Fish. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.

A light, brothy soup of vegetables, pineapple and white fish at under 200 kcal a bowl: about 15 g of protein, a third of a day's vitamin C and some omega-3 per serve, with the sour tang from tamarind.

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Ingredients 19

Method

Tap a time to watch that step in the video.

  1. Season the fish lightly on both sides with salt, pepper, chilli powder and a pinch of chicken stock powder and leave 15 minutes. Slice the pineapple, cut the tomatoes into wedges, slice the peeled taro stem and okra on the diagonal, and chop the herbs. 0:58
  2. Fry the garlic in the oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat until golden, then lift it out with the oil to use as a garnish. If you like, fry the diced tomato in a little of the oil for colour, then add the 6 cups of water. 2:55
  3. Simmer the tamarind pulp in 1 cup of water for 2 minutes, breaking it up, then push it through a sieve into the soup pot and discard the fibres. Add the sugar and fish sauce and bring to the boil. 3:28
  4. Add the fish and cook 5–7 minutes until done, then lift it out so it doesn't overcook. 4:33
  5. Add the pineapple and tomato, then the taro stem and okra and cook 1–2 minutes. Add the bean sprouts and taste, adjusting the sweet–sour–salty balance. 4:59
  6. Return the fish to warm through, stir in most of the herbs and bring back to the boil. Serve topped with the garlic oil, the rest of the herbs and sliced chilli. 5:25

Tip. Serves about 6 with rice (our estimate). Celery can stand in for taro stem, and snapper or barramundi for catfish. Start with 2 tbsp sugar and taste. For a pescatarian soup, use salt instead of chicken stock powder.

The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.

One serve gives you 1 of 6

Energy188 kcal790 kJ
Protein15 g30% of a day
Fibre2.4 g8% of a day
Carbohydrate21 g19 g net · 16 g sugars8% of a day
Fat5.3 g0.5 g saturated7% of a day
Sodium1,130 mg49% of a day

Where the energy comes from one serve

  • Net carbs 41%
  • Protein 33%
  • Fat 26%

For comparison, low-carb eating usually gets under 26% of its energy from carbs, and ketogenic eating under 10%. Why this is here

Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more

Selenium High40%

22 µg a serve, mostly from catfish steaks (96%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.

Vitamin C High34%

31 mg a serve, mostly from pineapple (42%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.

Omega-3 High34%

0.5 g a serve, mostly from vegetable oil (76%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.

Vitamin B12 High28%

0.7 µg a serve, mostly from catfish steaks (91%). Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.

Vitamin K High24%

29 µg a serve. Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.

Vitamin B6 High22%

0.4 mg a serve, mostly from catfish steaks (43%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.

Magnesium Source18%

74 mg a serve, mostly from catfish steaks (32%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.

Vitamin E Source11%

1.6 mg a serve, mostly from vegetable oil (49%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.

Folate Source11%

46 µg a serve. Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.

Potassium Source10%

470 mg a serve, mostly from catfish steaks (29%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.

Show the other 5
Iron6%

1.2 mg a serve. Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.

Zinc6%

0.7 mg a serve, mostly from catfish steaks (48%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.

Calcium4%

54 mg a serve, mostly from okra (25%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.

Vitamin A4%

39 µg a serve, mostly from tomatoes (27%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.

Vitamin D3%

0.6 µg a serve, mostly from catfish steaks (100%). Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.

Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works

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Recipe and video by Helen's Recipes; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.