Vietnamese Fish Soup with Dill & Tomato (Cá nấu cà chua)

“Rice and fish are as inseparable as mother and child” – Vietnamese Proverb

This is a more simplistic version of my favorite soup from the famed TAMARIND TREE restaurant in Little Saigon down the street from our house in Seattle with measurements for home from the soupsong blog. It’s really delicious & super healthy- nary a calorie in sight. Note that the fish is taken out and added back in the final minutes of cooking so that it doesn’t become tough while your veggies are still cooking in the broth. If you want to add some noodles to the soup for a more filling meal, I like Vietnamese rice soup noodles OR some simple Japanese somen– just be sure to parboil them separately and add the noodles at the end so they don’t cloud your broth.

The flavor is meant to be delicate, light and fresh. If you tend to like bold flavors, consider this a vacation for your taste buds. If you MUST have heat, add just a very small amount of Vietnamese chili garlic sauce; just please don’t overwhelm the soup with a giant shot of Sriracha- save that for your Top Ramen

• 1 Tablespoon peanut oil
• 1 pound white fish fillets, cut in triangle shapes (tilapia, cod, snapper, perch, halibut)
• 1/2 packet of Japanese instant “dashi” broth
• 3 tomatoes, peeled and cut into triangle shapes [if you don't know how to peel tomatoes, google it!]
• 1 onion, cut into eighths
• 2 Tablespoons nuoc mam fish sauce [I personally can't stand real fish sauce & buy the 'vegetarian' fish sauce instead-- it's essential for depth of flavor]
• 2 quarts water
• 2 celery stalks sliced on the diagonal (OR Vietnamese bac ha- a spongy  veggie that comes in porous stalks; pictured to the right from ‘Wandering Chopsticks’) 
• 2 Tablespoons fresh dill, minced
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 stalks of green onion/scallion, sliced finely on the bias

1. Heat the oil in a large pot and add fish–saute til lightly browned. Gently remove fish and set aside in separate dish without breaking fish.
2. Add the tomatoes, onion, and nuoc mam into the pot and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour in the water and bring to a boil. Add 1/2 packet of Japanese dashi broth and stir well. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Five minutes before you’re ready to serve, stir in the celery, the dill, and the black pepper. Let cook and add back in the fish.
4. Ladle into bowls. Top each with a dill sprig. Serve with green onion &  some chili-garlic sauce on the side.
5. Enjoy!  Chúc mọi người ăn ngon miệng!

Advertisement