Who as a recipe for real Vietnamese Hot & Sour soup?
For years, I tried unsuccessfully to recreate the unique taste of this soup from my favorite Vietnamese restaurant. Then I finally asked the owner what made the broth so special. The secret is tamarind! Incarnations of tamarind soup are found all over Southeast Asia. In the Philippines it is called Sinigang, and in Vietnam it is called Canh Chua Chay (Chay indicates the vegetarian version, as opposed to the more common one with shrimp). a lemon-sized piece of tamarind pulp or ¼ c. prepared tamarind paste* 1 T ground chili paste 1 T minced garlic 3 T vegetarian fish sauce* or soy sauce 3 c. light vegetable stock + 3 c. water 2 T sugar ½ t. salt 1 c. pineapple chunks, fresh or canned, with some of the juice ½ onion, thinly sliced 1 stalk celery, thinly sliced 1 c. chopped tomatoes or halved cherry tomatoes 1 15 oz can peeled straw mushrooms, rinsed and drained 1 15 oz can cut baby corn 1 10/5 oz package lite silken tofu, firm, cubed 2 c. shredded bok choy leaves juice of one lime Garnish
