Canh chua is the soup that shows just how well Vietnamese cooking balances flavour – sour from tamarind, sweet from pineapple, savoury from fish sauce, and a gentle heat from chilli, all simmered together with tender white fish. It's a staple of the Mekong Delta, where fresh fish and tropical fruit are never far from the pot.
This soup comes together faster than you'd expect for something with so much going on. A tamarind-based broth is simmered with tomato, pineapple and okra, then finished with flaky white fish fillets right at the end so they stay tender rather than falling apart. Bean sprouts and coriander go in at the very last minute for freshness.
Serve canh chua in the middle of the table alongside steamed rice and a few other dishes, family-style – it's the sort of soup that's equally at home as a light dinner on its own.
