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Simple fish soup with tomato and Tianjin preserved vegetables in a ceramic bowl, garnished with crispy shallots and fresh coriander
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Chinese Fish Soup with Tomato and Tung Choi

Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Servings: 2 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 fish fillet (±400 grams) 1块鱼（±400克）
  • 1 tablespoon Tianjin preserved vegetables 天津冬菜
  • 1 large tomato 1个大番茄
  • 400 ml water 水

Seasoning (调料)

  • Salt to taste 适量盐

Garnish (装饰)

  • 2 sprigs coriander 香菜
  • 1 tablespoon crispy shallots 酥脆红葱头
  • 1/2 tablespoon shallot oil 红葱油

Instructions

Step 1 - Prep the Ingredients

  • Remove the top of the tomato, cut in half, then slice thinly. Set aside.
  • Rinse the Tianjin preserved vegetables thoroughly under running water to remove excess salt, then drain well.

Step 2 - Cook the Soup

  • Add the water and tomato slices to a pot. Bring to a boil.
  • Once boiling, add the Tianjin preserved vegetables and the fish.
  • Cover with a lid and cook on low heat for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through.

Step 3 - Garnish and Serve

  • Drizzle with shallot oil and scatter crispy shallots over the top.
  • Garnish with fresh coriander and serve immediately.

Video

Notes

  • Choose the right fish. Kurau (threadfin) works well, but any tender white fish fillet will do. For children, use boneless fish slices to avoid bones.
  • Rinse the tung choi well. It's heavily salted — rinse thoroughly before adding or the soup will be too salty.
  • Don't overcook the fish. 5 to 6 minutes on low heat is enough. Overcooked fish turns dry and falls apart.
  • Use a ripe tomato. An underripe tomato will be more sour and you'll probably need to add some sugar to balance the tanginess.
  • Taste before adding salt. The tung choi is already salty — you may not need any extra salt at all.
  • Crispy shallots. You can buy fried shallots at most supermarkets. If you want to make your own, you can also get the recipe here.