Ingredients for Sour Fish Soup
– 500g fresh fish
– Green pineapple: 1 piece
– Tomatoes: 3 pieces
– Bean sprouts: 100g
– Okra: 5 pieces
– Tamarind: 3 pieces
Chili, onion, garlic, ginger, scallion, dill
Cooking oil, fish sauce, salt, sugar, MSG, seasoning powder, pepper

How to Make Refreshing Sour Fish Soup
Step 1: Prepare the ingredients
First, clean the fish by removing its guts, scaling it, and cutting it into pieces. Rub the fish with some salt, lime, or white wine to get rid of any fishy smell, then rinse thoroughly. Marinate the fish with fish sauce, seasoning powder, and minced garlic for 10 minutes to enhance its flavor.
For the other ingredients, peel and finely chop the ginger. Cut the chili in half, remove the seeds, wash, and chop into small pieces. Pick the wilted leaves from the scallion and dill, wash, and chop finely. Peel and core the pineapple, then cut it into small pieces. Soak the tamarind in hot water, mash it, and strain the mixture to obtain tamarind juice. Wash the tomatoes and cut them into wedges. Finally, wash the okra and cut it diagonally.
Step 2: Cook the sour fish soup
Heat some cooking oil in a pan over medium heat and add the garlic. Fry until golden, then remove and set aside. In the same pan, fry the fish on both sides to firm the flesh and eliminate any fishy taste. Once done, remove the fish and set it aside.
Add a little more cooking oil to the pan and sauté the onion. Add half of the tomatoes first to give the soup a nice color, then add the pineapple and sauté together. Add half a teaspoon of salt and cook for 3-5 minutes.
Next, pour in 1-1.2 liters of water and the tamarind juice. Bring it to a boil, and when the water starts to bubble, add the fish. Season with 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and half a teaspoon of salt. Once it boils, lower the heat and skim off any foam.
After the fish is cooked, add the remaining tomatoes and the sautéed pineapple. Cook for a few minutes, then add the okra and cook for another 2 minutes. Finally, add the bean sprouts, half a tablespoon of fish sauce, and 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder. Just before turning off the heat, throw in the chopped scallion and dill, adjusting the seasoning to your taste.

Step 3: Finish and serve
Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with chili slices. Enjoy it with white rice or rice vermicelli.
Notes for a More Flavorful Sour Fish Soup
Always choose fresh fish with firm flesh and clear white eyes—avoid cloudy eyes, as this indicates the fish is not fresh and may affect the taste and your health.
A well-cooked sour fish soup should have a sweet and mildly sour broth, with firm yet tender fish meat. It should be free from any fishy odor and instead, be fragrant with the blended spices, leaving you wanting more.