Vietnamese Sour Shrimp Soup (Canh chua tôm)

5 from 1 vote

Vietnamese Sour Shrimp Soup (Canh chua tôm)

Vietnamese sour shrimp soup (canh chua tôm) is an excellent addition to family dinners with its balanced sweet and sour taste. My recipe highlights the natural sweetness of the shrimp and the depth and complexity of the broth.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1

Total Time1 15

Course: Side Dish, Soup

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Servings: people

Calories: 193kcal

Author: Sophie Pham

Ingredients

20-24 oz raw shrimp with heads and shells on (about 16 medium to large shrimp)
cooking oil
7 cups water
1½ teaspoons salt
3-4 tablespoons tamarind paste (to taste)
2 teaspoons granulated sugar (to taste)
1-2 teaspoons fish sauce (to taste)
8 oz fresh pineapples cut into bite-sized pieces (about 1½ cups)
8 oz ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
8 oz bean sprouts
chopped scallions
chopped saw-tooth leaves and rice paddy herbs (see Notes for substitution)

US Customary - Grams

Instructions

Peel the shrimp and keep the shells and heads to make the stock. Use a knife to make a shallow slit along the back of the shrimp to devein (you can do this while simmering the stock in Step 2). The shrimp will also look prettier once cooked.
Place a pot over medium heat and once it is hot, add cooking oil to thinly coat the bottom. Add the shrimp shells and heads. Increase the heat and sauté until they are browned and smell flavorful, then add the water and salt. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
Cover the pot and simmer for 45-60 minutes. After that, remove all the shrimp heads and shells. Flavor the broth with tamarind paste, sugar and fish sauce to taste.
Add the pineapple pieces and simmer for 4-5 minutes to release their flavors and aroma.
Add the tomato wedges and let the soup come back to a rapid simmer. Increase the heat if needed. Then add the peeled shrimp and cook for 1-1½ minutes until they are just cooked through. Avoid overcooking which will make them rubbery.
Add the bean sprouts and let the soup boil rapidly. Then stir in the chopped herbs. Turn off the heat and transfer the soup to serving bowls right away.

Notes

Substitutions: You may also use cilantro and Vietnamese coriander, depending on what you can find at your local Asian grocery stores. Some people also like adding okra sliced on a bias to the soup together with the bean sprouts.

If you like spiciness, you can add several slices of bird's eye chili to the soup.

Make sure to buy either Thai or Vietnamese tamarind paste, and not the Indian one.

If you need help with slicing the pineapples, check out the photos in this stir-fried squid recipe for a visual guide.

This soup is usually served with rice, but it will also taste good with rice vermicelli noodles. Place a bowl of fish sauce with several slices of bird's eye chili on the side.

Nutrition