Thai Fish Soup Recipe

Ever since our trip to City of Hope in Los Angeles and meeting with top scientists developing cancer cures with herbs, I’ve been focusing on wisely choosing foods for my family that heal, not harm.

Thai Fish Soup Recipe

It’s tough some days, especially when we have boys’ activities that go through the late afternoon and evenings. The unhealthy, fast choices are so tempting. Even at home, I’ll admit to popping frozen bean burritos in the microwave and adding a salad to “even it out” is sometimes an option.

Thai Fish Soup Recipe

My answer to this is to stock the freezer with frozen seafood. I buy shrimp already flash frozen (you can defrost exactly as many shrimp as you need). I also buy fresh fish and then cut them up into 1-inch chunks before freezing. A tip is to freeze the fish chunks in one layer – just flatten the bag and lay flat in the freezer. It makes it so much easier and faster to defrost.

The pantry always holds cans of coconut milk, cartons of broth and dried rice noodles – making this recipe very convenient to cook.

Thai Fish Soup Recipe

This recipe is from my new favorite cookbook, called The Medicinal Chef: Eat Your Way to Better Health, by Dale Pinnock. It’s a must-have book, we’ve already tried 5 recipes, all of them just fabulous. Not only are they tasty, but with the added big benefit of knowing that I’m doing good for my family’s health.

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Take a look at the video for a peek at how this book is structured and how Dale utilizes food to heal and promote healthy living.

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This Thai Fish Soup has all the flavor elements, typical of South East Asian cuisine.

Thai Fish Soup Recipe Video

Thai Fish Soup Recipe

Recipe adapted from The Medicinal Chef: Eat Your Way to Better Health by Dale Pinnock.
Make this healthy soup a perfect light meal by adding 1/2 pound of dried rice noodles (cook the rice noodles according to package directions).
You'll season to taste with the balance of fish sauce and lime juice. Adjust with more if needed, for more intense flavor.
If you cannot find lemongrass or kaffir lime leaves, just substitute with the peel of a lemon or lime. Use a vegetable peeler to get thin strips of peel (avoid the bitter white pith) and give each strip a good bruising or twist to release the oils).
The last time we made this soup, we added fresh tomato cut into wedges too - I highly recommend that you do the same!
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon cooking oil
  • 1 clove garlic, finely minced
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1/4 red onion, very sliced
  • 1/2 red chili pepper, sliced (optional)
  • 1 stalk lemongrass, bottom stalk only, bruised (substitute with peel of lemon or lime)
  • 4 kaffir lime leaves, torn (substitute with peel of lemon or lime)
  • 14 ounces can coconut milk
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • juice of 1/2 lime
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 6 ounces shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 8 ounces salmon, cut into 1-inch chunks
  • assorted vegetables, such as bok choy, spinach, snow peas, kale, tomatoes, bell pepper, etc.
  • 1 tablespoon minced cilantro

Instructions
 

  • In a wok or soup pot over medium high heat, add cooking oil and swirl to coat. When hot, add in the garlic, ginger, red onion, chili pepper, lemongrass, kaffir and gently cook for about 2 minutes to release the aromas and flavors.
  • Pour in the coconut milk and broth and let simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the lemongrass, kaffir (or the lemon/lime peel if using) and discard. Season broth with fish sauce and lime juice to taste.
  • Add shrimp, salmon, vegetables and cilantro. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the shrimp and salmon is cooked through.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

 

 

 

Legend image reprinted with permission from The Medicinal Chef © 2013 Dale Pinnock, Sterling Publishing Inc. Co. Photography by Martin Poole.