Alright, so the other day I got this craving for something soupy, something with a bit of an Asian kick, you know? And I remembered having this amazing fish green soup ages ago somewhere in Southeast Asia, or at least I think it was. Decided to give it a shot myself in my own kitchen. It’s not like I had a fixed recipe, more like going by memory and what felt right.
What I Gathered
First things first, I had to get the ingredients. My mission was clear: fish, greens, and stuff to make it taste authentic, or at least my version of authentic.
- Fish: I went for some firm white fish fillets. Snapper, I think it was. Easy to work with, doesn’t fall apart too much. Got about a pound. I just cut them into chunky pieces.
- Greens: I grabbed a big bunch of bok choy and some spinach. Figured they’d wilt down nicely and soak up the flavors. Washed them real good and roughly chopped the bok choy. Spinach leaves I kept whole.
- For the Broth Magic: This is where the fun starts. I got:
- A knob of ginger, just bashed it a bit.
- A couple of stalks of lemongrass, also bashed and roughly chopped.
- Some garlic cloves, maybe four or five, just smashed.
- A red chili or two – I like a little heat, not too much. Sliced ’em.
- A can of coconut milk, the full-fat kind, always better.
- Some fish sauce, a staple.
- A lime, for that zesty finish.
- Chicken broth as a base, about 4 cups. Could use veggie broth too, I guess.
Putting It All Together
Okay, so with everything prepped on my counter, I got my trusty big pot out. This is how I went about it:
First, I heated up a little oil in the pot. Just a splash. Tossed in the smashed garlic, the bashed ginger, and the lemongrass. Stirred that around for a minute or two until it smelled amazing. You really want to get those smells going.
Then, I poured in the chicken broth. Brought that to a simmer. Let it bubble away gently for about 10 minutes, just to let those aromatic flavors really get into the broth. Added the sliced chilies at this point too.
Next up, the fish. I gently placed the fish pieces into the simmering broth. Didn’t want to stir it too hard, just let the fish cook. This only took a few minutes, maybe 5 to 7, until the fish was opaque and cooked through.
Once the fish looked done, I poured in the coconut milk. Stirred that in gently. Oh, and a good splash of fish sauce – maybe a tablespoon or two to start. You can always add more later. Let it come back to a gentle simmer. Don’t boil it like crazy once the coconut milk is in.
Then came the greens. I added the chopped bok choy first, since it takes a little longer to wilt. Pushed it down into the soup. After a minute or two, I added the spinach. Spinach wilts super fast, so it goes in last.
I let everything simmer together for another couple of minutes, just until the greens were tender-crisp. You don’t want mushy greens.
The Moment of Truth
Finally, it was time to taste. I squeezed in the juice of half a lime. Gave it a stir. Had a spoonful. It was pretty darn good! The broth was creamy from the coconut milk, fragrant from the lemongrass and ginger, with a little kick from the chili. The fish was tender, and the greens added a nice freshness.
I ladled it into a big bowl. Maybe garnished with a bit more fresh chili and a lime wedge on the side. It wasn’t exactly like the one I remembered, but it was my own version, and it really hit the spot. A satisfying bowl of soupy goodness. Definitely making this again, maybe play around with different greens or add some mushrooms next time. Yeah, a good kitchen experiment for sure.
