Cambodian Fish Noodle Soup

Cambodian Fish Noodle Soup, a delightful and traditional Khmer dish, combines a medley of flavors and textures, making it a culinary delight. The recipe features rice vermicelli noodles, complemented by the rich taste of Filet Snakehead fish, basa fish, or catfish. Infused with aromatic ingredients such as garlic, finger rhizome roots, lemongrass, and galanga root, the soup achieves a complex and savory profile. Optional additions like chili pepper and turmeric contribute to the dish’s depth.

To prepare this dish, start by boiling water and cooking the rice vermicelli noodles until tender. Separately, simmer fish in water, creating a flavorful stock. Once cooked, the fish is removed, broken into small pieces, and set aside. A fragrant blend of garlic, rhizome roots, lemongrass, galanga root, chili pepper, turmeric, roasted rice powder, and green onion is created in a blender, enhancing the soup’s aromatic profile. This spice mixture is then cooked with the fish, fish broth, and additional seasoning, including fish sauce, sugar, and creamy-style pickle fish (pahok), resulting in a well-balanced broth.

To serve, a combination of mixed vegetables, such as bean sprouts, shredded cabbage, cucumber, banana blossom, and mint, is placed in a serving bowl. The cooked noodles are then added, and the hot, flavorful soup is poured over the top. The dish is best enjoyed immediately, offering a harmonious blend of textures and flavors that showcase the essence of Cambodian culinary traditions.

Ingredients

Directions to make Cambodian Fish Noodle Soup

1. Cook 8 cups water in a large pot till water bubbling, and then add noodle to boiling water and cook till noodle tender. Pour cooked noodle in a colander, rinses under cold water and set it a side to drain.
2. In a large pot, cook 6 cups water till water bubbling, add fish to boiling warer and cook till fish tender.
3. Removed cooked fish from soup pot, put fish in a large bowl and keep soup stock simmering on the stove.
4. Using a fork to breaks down cooked fish to small pieces, set it a side.
5. In a blender, put garlic, finger rhizome root, lemongrass, galanga root,chili pepper, turmeric, roasted rice powder, green onion and 1 cup fish broth, blended well and set it a side.
6. Heat up a skillet or wok.
7. When wok is hot, add oil and prepared spices, stirs, add cooked fish, stirs well, pour it in with soup broth and cook till broth bubbling.
8. Seasoning with fish sauce,sugar and creamy style pickle fish(pahok), simmering for 15 minutes before serve.

TO SERVE: 

In a serving bowl, put some mix vegetables(bean sprouts mix with shredded cabbage, cucumber, banana blossom and mint), put some cooked noodle on top noodle and pour hot soup over. Serve immediately.

Related Recipe: Roasted Duck Noodle Soup