Hot & Sour Bamboo Soup

July 3, 2023

Soups are a huge part of Asian cuisine and there is such a wide variety of flavors and ingredients that you could make a different version every week and never get sick of your options.

Today, we are making a hot and sour soup with bamboo, fish and vegetables. This soup is a staple in kitchens all over Asia. The Vietnamese version is Canh Cá Chim Măng Chua, in Thailand it is called Gaeng No Mai and there are variations of this soup in Cambodian, Japanese and Chinese kitchen as well.

The heat in this soup comes from white pepper (black pepper can be substituted, but will result in a different overall flavor profile) and red chilies. There are several options when it comes to the heat level of the red chilies that you add. Some are easier acquired than others, so use what you can find…

- - Common Yellow or Red Chili Peppers – these are the little jalapeño shaped chilis that are red in color, about 3 inches long and not too thin and pointy. They will bring you great flavor and some heat. Enough to notice, but not scare your tongue.
  - Birds Eye Chilies – these Thai chili peppers are thin, pointy and full of a great kick of heat. This is the chili that I prefer for this hot and sour soup and as long as you aren’t afraid of a little punch of warmth, you should definitely grab some of these little chilies for your soup as well.
  - Habanero Peppers – although these peppers are Latin, they offer an undeniable heat that is appreciated by many and if you appreciate a soup that will make you sweat a little then you may just want to reach for the habanero.

Now that we have covered the “hot”, let’s discuss the sour elements in this soup.

The sourness comes from sour or pickled bamboo and lots of fresh lime juice. You can find sour pickled bamboo shoots in the international aisle of most grocery stores or at your local Asian market.

The other ingredients that will add sour and tart notes to this soup is fresh lime juice. The amount of lime juice that you need for this soup will depend on just how sour your bamboo shoots are. Every brand is different, so I prefer to add the lime juice after the soup is ready to serve. I add quite a bit to my soup and serve each bowl with additional lime wedges. Sour is one of my favorite flavors, but not everyone prefers to be overwhelmed by tartness, so add a squeeze of lime and do a quick taste test to see if you need more.

Let’s get started…

Start by gathering your ingredients. The components of this soup and the garnishes are equally important in this recipe, so I suggest gathering everything at the same time.

For the soup, you will need 16 ounces of white fish, 16 ounces of freshly pickled bamboo or a 600 gram package of pickled bamboo, 6 cups of water, 2 teaspoons of salt, 3 teaspoons of chicken bouillon, 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 2 tablespoons of cane sugar, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, 4 cloves of finely minced garlic, 1 inch of grated ginger, a large tomato sliced thin and a big pinch of black or white pepper.

For the garnishes, you will need lots of fresh lime wedges, a thinly sliced birds eye chili, some sprouts, 3 thinly sliced green onions and some fresh cilantro leaves.

Prepare 16 ounces of white fish by generously seasoning with salt and pepper. Today, I am using catfish, but any white fish will do fine in this soup. The soup has bold flavors, so the fish you choose is not as important as it would be in other recipes.

Slice the fish into large bite sized pieces (these pieces will shrink some as the fish cooks) and get it aside while we prepare the soup base.

Place a large soup pot over medium heat and 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and the garlic and ginger. Once everything begins to become warm, cook the garlic and ginger while stirring consistently for 60-90 seconds.

As soon as the garlic and ginger are very fragrant, carefully add 6 cups of water and bring the mixture to a simmer.

When the broth begins to simmer, add 2 teaspoons of salt, 3 teaspoons of chicken bouillon, 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 2 tablespoons of cane sugar and a big pinch of black or white pepper. Stir to combine and carefully add your sliced white fish and the pickled bamboo.

Simmer the soup for about 20 minutes to allow the flavors to develop and the fish to cook through.

After the soup has simmered, transfer the pot off of the heat and add the sliced tomato.

This soup is already quite delicious at this point, but things are about to become even more bold and flavorful…

Garnish each bowl with some sprouts, fresh cilantro, lots of green onion, a few thin slices of red chili and lots of fresh lime juice. Be sure to really load up on the garnishes, because a lot of the “hot” and the “sour” comes from the chilies and lime juice that you add at this stage.

This hot and sour bamboo soup is just wonderful. The fish and bamboo are tender, but still hold their shape nicely and the tomatoes add a beautifully sweet layer of flavor that rounds out the spice and tartness in a delicious way.

If you want to really ramp up the sour aspect of the flavors in this soup, try adding extra pickled bamboo before serving.

The flavors in this soup are warm and comforting and really satisfy the regular craving that I get for Asian inspired flavors. The garlic, ginger, sour bamboo and fresh lime juice come together to make a truly beautiful bowl of goodness that you are going to absolutely love.

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