Cambodian Sweet Sour Fish Soup

This Cambodian sweet sour fish soup is the kind of bowl that wakes up your appetite without feeling heavy. The broth is light and clear, with a clean tang from tamarind, a gentle sweetness from ripe pineapple, and a savory base from fish sauce.

It is a everyday Khmer soup, the sort of dish that shows up on family tables when the market has good fish and fresh herbs. The vegetables go in at the right moments so they keep their texture, and the herbs are stirred in at the very end so they stay bright. If you are new to Cambodian sour soups, known as samlor machu, this is a generous place to start.

What You Need

The ingredient list looks long, but it is mostly simple vegetables and pantry seasonings. The fish can be a whole basa or catfish cut into chunks, or fillets if that is easier for you. Pineapple brings natural sweetness, okra gives the broth a little body, and fresh herbs do the finishing work.

Tamarind powder is the main souring agent here. Fish sauce and sugar let you adjust the final balance to your taste. If you have made our Cambodian chicken sweet sour soup before, you will recognize the same sour-sweet-salty rhythm in this fish version.

Equipment

• Soup pot: To sauté the garlic and lemongrass, boil the water, and simmer the fish and vegetables.
• Chef’s knife: To chop the garlic, slice the lemongrass, cut the fish into chunks, and prepare the vegetables.
• Cutting board: To safely prepare the fish, pineapple, okra, celery, Asian rhubarb, tomatoes, and herbs.
• Measuring cup: To measure the water.
• Measuring spoons: To measure the oil, tamarind powder, sugar, fish sauce, and salt.
• Small bowl: To hold the toasted garlic while the soup cooks.
• Wooden spoon or cooking spoon: To stir the soup gently without breaking the fish.
• Ladle: To serve the soup and broth into bowls.

How to Make Cambodian Sweet Sour Fish Soup

Step 1: Toast the garlic and build the aromatic base

Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. When the pot is hot, add the vegetable oil and the chopped garlic. Sauté the garlic until it turns brown, then remove it with a spoon and set it aside in a small bowl.

Add the minced lemongrass to the hot oil and stir. Pour in the water and bring it to a bubbling boil.

Step 2: Cook the fish with pineapple

Add the fish chunks and the diced pineapple to the boiling water. If you are using canned pineapple, include the juice as well. Cook until the fish is tender. Keep the heat at a gentle bubble so the fish does not break apart.

Step 3: Add the vegetables

Add the okra, chopped celery, and sliced Asian rhubarb. Stir well and let the soup come back to a simmer.

Step 4: Season the broth

Season with the tamarind powder, sugar, fish sauce, and salt. Stir gently and taste. The broth should be sour first, then lightly sweet and savory. You can adjust the tamarind or sugar at this point if you want a sharper or sweeter soup.

Step 5: Add the tomatoes and bean sprouts

Add the tomato chunks and bean sprouts. Stir well and cook just until they are heated through. The bean sprouts should stay a little crisp.

Step 6: Finish with herbs and serve

Turn off the heat. Top the soup with the mixed herbs, chopped green onion, hot chili pepper if you are using it, and the reserved toasted garlic. Serve hot with rice.

For another fragrant sour soup with a different texture, you might also enjoy our hot sour chicken soup with lotus shoots.

Cooking Tips

• Taste before serving. The sour-sweet-salty balance is personal. Add more tamarind powder for a sourer soup, or more sugar if you prefer it sweeter.
• Keep the fish gentle. Simmer rather than boil hard after the fish goes in, so the chunks stay whole.
• Add the herbs off the heat. The residual warmth is enough to soften them and keep their aroma fresh.

How to Serve

Serve this soup hot with steamed jasmine rice. The rice softens the tang of the broth and makes the meal more filling. It also works as part of a larger Cambodian meal alongside a simple stir-fry or grilled dish.

Recipe Notes

Tamarind powder can vary in strength from brand to brand. Start with the supplied amount, taste, and add more only if you want a stronger sour note. The same goes for sugar: adjust gradually until the broth tastes balanced to you. For a different way pineapple sweetens a Cambodian soup, see our Cambodian pineapple soup with chicken.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

This soup is a good reminder that Cambodian cooking often balances bold flavors without making a dish feel heavy. The tamarind, pineapple, and fresh herbs do most of the work, and the fish stays tender in the light broth. Make it when you want a warm bowl that is bright, aromatic, and easy to adjust to your own taste. For more ideas, browse our collection of Cambodian soups and stews.

Sweet Sour Soup with Fish

5.0 from 1 vote

Course: SoupCuisine: CambodianDifficulty: Medium

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Calories

210

kcal

Total time

50

minutes

A light Cambodian fish soup with tamarind sourness, pineapple sweetness, okra, tomatoes, bean sprouts, and fresh herbs. This everyday Khmer soup balances tamarind, pineapple, fish sauce, and sugar in a clear broth. Basa, catfish, or any white-meat fish works well, and the vegetables are added in stages to keep their texture. Serve hot with rice.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• 1/4 cup minced lemon grass

• 6 cups water

• 1 whole basa, catfish or any white meat fish approx 900 gram, cleaned and cut chunks, or 1 lb (450 gram) of fish fillet, cut chunks

• 1/2 Fresh pineapple, diced, or 1 large canned chunk pineapple

• 1/2 lb (225 gram) of fresh okra or 6 oz (170 gram) of frozen whole okra

• 1 stalk of celery, chopped

• 2 stalks of Asian rhubarb (taro stalk), sliced

• 1 tablespoons Knorr tamarind powder

• 3 tablespoons sugar

• 2 tablespoons fish sauce

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 2 tomatoes, sliced chunks

• 4 oz (120 gram) of bean sprouts

• 1 cup chopped mix herbs; rice paddy herb, sweet basil and saw leaf herb

• 1 stalk of green onion, chopped

• 2 chopped hot chili pepper, or to your taste (option)

Directions

• Heat up a large soup pot.
• When soup pot is hot, add oil and saute’ garlic till it brown, removed toasted garlic and set it a side. Add lemon grass, stirs, add water, cook till water bubbling.
• Put fish, pineapple(included pineapple juice if using canned) to boiling water, cook till fish tender.
• Add okra, celery and Asian rhubard, stirs well.
• Seasoning with tamarind powder, sugar, fish sauce, and salt.
• Add tomatoes and bean sprouts, stirs well.
• Top with mix herbs, green onion, hot chili pepper and toasted garlic before serve.
• Serve hot with rice.
• Note: For sourer soup add more tamarind powder, add more sugar for sweeter soup.

Equipment

• 
  Chef’s KnifeCheck product details
• 
  Cutting boardCheck product details
• 
  LadleCheck product details
• 
  Small bowlCheck product details
• 
  Wooden SpoonCheck product details
• 
  Large Soup PotCheck product details

Recipe Video

Nutrition Facts

• Serving Size: 2 g
• Total number of serves: 4
• Calories: 210kcal
• Fat: 4.4g
• Saturated Fat: 0.7g
• Sodium: 1068mg
• Potassium: 784mg
• Carbohydrates: 42.1g
• Net Carbs: 35g
• Fiber: 7.1g
• Sugar: 27.3g
• Protein: 6.5g
• Vitamin A: 65.2mcg
• Vitamin C: 115.4mg
• Calcium: 130mg
• Iron: 3mg
• Vitamin E: 1.1mg
• Vitamin K: 59.3mcg
• Thiamin: 0.3mg
• Riboflavin: 0.2mg
• Niacin: 2.6mg
• Vitamin B6: 0.5mg
• Folate: 119.8mcg
• Pantothenic Acid: 0.9mg
• Phosphorus: 131mg
• Magnesium: 97mg
• Zinc: 1mg
• Selenium: 9.3mcg
• Copper: 0.5mg
• Manganese: 2mg

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