"Canh Chua" Vietnamese Sweet and Sour Soup

[flandria]

I finally made it! All sorts of ingredients run in my mind for this soup and finally got a chance to try it.

One of my favorite comfort food, “Canh Chua”. The original soup is made with fish or shrimp stock along with the fish or shrimp itself. The soup I made have those flavor by just using some oil, saffron and salt. It gives it a shrimp oily flavor. It’s delicious!

Ingredients
2 cups coconut water
1 stalk of celery
2 teaspoons carrot juice
1 cup tomatoes, no skin
2 tablespoons lemongrass, zested, using a zester
1 cup cilantro
1 lime
1 teaspoon agave nectar
2 teaspoons nama soyu
2 teaspoons Himalayan salt
1 cup fresh pineapple
1 teaspoon jalapeno with seeds, more for a spicier soup
1 tablespoon saffron
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Himalayan salt
Preparation
Soak the saffron in olive oil and salt. Set aside.

Blend all the other ingredients. Prepare a nut bag or cheese cloth to strain the soup. Pour the soup into the nut bag or cheese cloth then squeeze liquid.

You can put the soup in the dehydrator to warm before service.

Serve with the saffron oil made earlier. Strain the saffron oil and top the soup. You can add cilantro and mung bean sprouts, too! Enjoy

[wyjoz]

Love Love Sweet n Sour so will be trying this! Thank You for sharing it with us!

xoxox Joz

[RawLeah]

Well that sure sounds tasty.

On my list to try.

thanks Flandria

[Carmella]

Yum! Your timing is impeccable! I was just looking for a soup to serve with the Asian style dinner I want to make in the next few days.

Huh, I don't have saffron though... Guess I'll just have to do without.

[wyjoz]

flandria: how much ''flavor'' 'taste' does the saffron add to it? Could we do a little tamarind instead?

Joz

[flandria]

Sure, that's very traditional. Just replace the lime with tamarind and you are all set!

Let me know how it goes! I devoured it last night.

Tip: if you add cilantro and mung beans sprouts, along with the saffron oil on top...it looks cool... did that last night and I can't stop looking at it...until it's all gone

it's nice when it's warm...dehydated

quick question...I've haven't had warm stuff close to three months now - when warming soup...how do you do that or what temp should it be...some books say warm on the stove but it may be too hot...

I tried warming up the soup in the dehydrator but I think my soup bowl is too thick, it warmed the bowl but not the soup...gah!

[flandria]

sorry...about the saffron, the more you leave it to soak the stronger the aroma and flavor - strain it but it will leave some small strands - don't worry that's beautiful stuff! the salt will help get some more flavor out of the saffron

saffron is used by my grandmother a lot when she makes chicken soup with porridge, that's where I got that idea from. right after the soup is ready, she adds the saffron making it more flavorful! delish!

that's another recipe I want to try...

hope that helps!

[Carmella]

I don't know if I can find some dried lemongrass somewhere but I think I'll be making this anyways. You're making sound too yummy not to!

To warm up soup, what we do is put it on the stove at medium, stirring constantly (so that the stuff at the bottom doesn't overheat) until lukewarm.

[Carmella]

This was absolutely lovely! I had to omit the lemongrass and saffron as I didn't have them on hand and it was still delicious.