Vietnamese Sour Seafood Soup with Squid (Canh Chua Mực / Hải Sản)

What is Cantua?

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Cainh Chua is an excellent soup that goes well with Vietnamese home cooking (cơm gia đình / cơm bình dân).

Cainh Chua, which originated in southern Vietnam, is a bright sweet and sour soup with a tamarind base. I love the combination of light and refreshing soup with bold flavors all at once.

The characteristic acidity comes from tamarind and the sweetness comes from sugar, providing the base for its perfect balance.

As with many Vietnamese vegetable soups, you can use your favorite proteins and vegetables. All you need, more or less, is a tomato (for a bright red color) and a green fragrant garnish of either Thai basil, culantro, or rice field herbs. The rest is completely up to you.

This blog has many sweet and sour tamarind recipes. Because each protein produces a different flavor, you’ll need to vary your seasonings a bit to keep everything balanced.

I usually switch between different versions, but recently my husband suddenly developed an allergy to shrimp, so I can’t eat Canh Chua Tôm (Sour Shrimp Soup) anymore. Since I can’t eat shrimp, this Canh Chua Mực (squid version) is now my go-to.

Serve this traditional soup with warm jasmine rice for a complete meal. For more meal options, I love pairing it with something salty and caramelized, like clay pot braised catfish (Cá Kho Tộ) or Vietnamese braised pork ribs (Sườn Ram Mặn). Or, I love the most popular recipe on this blog: Easy Chinese Pork Ribs Braised in Soy Sauce.

Why this recipe is great

One-pot: No need to wash extra dishes. I use a medium-sized pot with thick sides and a thick bottom for the entire process. The savory vegetables are also fried until crispy, so they work well on thicker surfaces without burning the pan. Now all you have to do is make the soup using the same pot. Tamarind concentrate: Using tamarind concentrate will save you a lot of time as it dissolves quickly. There is no need to soak the pulp and remove the seeds and pulp in a colander. Shrimp-Free and Safe for My Husband: This version is 100% shrimp-free as we are dealing with a sudden shrimp allergy in our house. Squid works for my husband, but people who are allergic to shrimp may also be allergic to squid. Please do not take my medical advice. At the end of the day, I’m just a food blogger.

How to prepare fresh squid

Washing fresh squid is no fun if you aren’t using pre-cut frozen rings, but it’s a great skill to have in your cooking repertoire.

Squid: You can use fresh or frozen rings and tentacles. If you are using fresh, be sure to wash and prepare it (see tutorial above). You can also use squid instead as they are very similar. Tamarind Concentrate: There are many ways to sour soup. You can use lime, lemon, or even vinegar, but tamarind is a classic choice for traditional Vietnamese Cainh Chua soup. Here I’m using the concentrate left over from making Lao papaya salad. Vegetables: Tomatoes are needed for their characteristic red color and light sweetness. This version also uses pineapple and okra. You can also add mushrooms. My favorites from Cain Chua are enoki mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, and white button mushrooms. Aroma: Fried toppings call for fresh garlic and shallots. If you’re in a hurry, you can use store-bought fried rakkyo or garlic. Seasonings: The classic combination of fish sauce, salt (too much fish sauce can be overpowering), chicken broth, and sugar to balance the sharp acidity of tamarind. If you don’t want to use bouillon, which is often used as a seasoning in Vietnamese cuisine, add a little more salt or fish sauce to taste, or use chicken stock instead. Garnish: Paddy herb (Ngò Ôm) is used here. You can also use Thai basil or klantro (gogai). If you like it spicy, add as much Thai chili pepper as possible.

Step 1: Prepare the materials

Cut the okra, tomatoes, and pineapple into bite-sized pieces. Mince the garlic and shallots, and thinly slice the red pepper. Coarsely chop the rice field herbs for garnish.

Finally, prepare the calamari (if you haven’t already done so). Clean and cut into small pieces.

In a medium-sized saucepan with heavy sides, heat the neutral oil over medium-high heat. Add the chopped shallots and fry until they start to turn light brown, then add the garlic (garlic will burn quickly so add it second).

It should smell incredible. To ensure even frying, tilt the pan to create a pool of oil if necessary. Remove the fried flavor and set aside to use as a topping later.

Step 3: Saute the squid

Add the prepared squid to the same aroma oil. Stir-fry for about 1 minute. Do not overcook. It will become rubbery.

Step 6: Season and Garnish

Once the taste is familiar, add seasonings little by little to adjust the taste.

Top the soup with fried shallots, garlic, and herb garnish. Served with hot rice, it makes a perfect meal.

Storage and reheating

One of the characteristics of Vietnamese sour soup is that it’s all about the “freshly made” factor. Reheating an already full bowl yields melty tomatoes and rubbery calamari. not good.

To maintain freshness, we recommend adding only as much seafood and vegetables as you can eat at one time. Leftover soup will keep in the fridge for several days, then you can boil the liquid on the stove and cook fresh calamari and vegetables in seconds.

The same rule applies to fried shallots and garlic. The crunchy texture is the best part, so if you know you’ll have leftovers, set aside the savory fried parts. Otherwise, it will soften and lose its punch if left in liquid.

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