1. Eel sour soup with mint
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Preparation
25 minutes
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Cooking time
20 minutes
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Difficulty level
Easy
Ingredients for Eel sour soup with mint Serves 4
Eel 1 fish (about 600g) Tomatoes 2 fruits Sour tamarind 50 g (juiced) Mint 2 sprigs Sour soup herbs 50 g Garlic 4 cloves Chili 1 fruit Fish sauce 1/2 tablespoon Cooking oil 2 tablespoons Common spices a little (salt/ sugar/ seasoning powder)
How to choose fresh ingredients
How to choose fresh tomatoes
- Fresh, quality tomatoes are those that have a bright red skin, firm and plump. When cut open, they should have yellow seeds and red flesh.
- Additionally, you need to pay attention to the aroma of the tomatoes. Naturally ripe tomatoes will have a distinctive fragrance, while forced-ripe tomatoes will have no smell.
- Avoid buying green tomatoes, as these are still unripe. You should also not buy tomatoes that feel soft and mushy to the touch, with stems that easily separate from the fruit.
How to choose crunchy and delicious water spinach (mint)
- Good mint will have a light green outer skin, smooth skin with a certain freshness and crunchiness.
- You should choose straight stems of mint, of moderate size, which feel light when held.
- Do not buy mint that is too large or too long, as they may have been over-fertilized or treated with too many chemicals. Additionally, avoid purchasing mint that is bruised or soft as they may have been kept for too long.
How to make sour eel soup with mint
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Prepare the ingredients
To eliminate the fishy smell of the eel, soak the eel in diluted salt water for about 10 minutes and then cut it into bite-sized pieces.
Peel the mint, wash it clean, drain, and then cut it diagonally into slices about 1/3 the thickness of a finger.
Peel the garlic, wash it clean, and mince it finely. Wash the tomatoes and then cut them into wedges.
Soak the herbs in diluted salt water for about 5 – 10 minutes, then rinse with clean water, remove, and drain.
2. Sour eel soup with water lily
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Preparation
15 minutes
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Cooking
30 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Sour eel soup with water lily Serves 4
Eel 400 gr Water lily 3 stalks Pineapple 1/2 fruit (ripe) Tamarind juice 2 tablespoons Chili 3 fruits Herbs a little (Cilantro/ basil/ rice paddy herb) Common seasoning a little (Salt/ sugar/ monosodium glutamate)
How to choose fresh and delicious water lily
- To choose fresh and delicious water lily, you should go to the market in the early morning.
- Preferably select stalks that have just been harvested, with dark stems still covered in mud, firm stalks, still long and not cut in half or small pieces, and not too thick or too thin.
- Choose water lilies that look plump and juicy inside, and if you break one, it should still have the milky sap inside.
- It’s best to choose stalks with fresh colors, not broken, dried, or wilted.
- Absolutely do not buy stalks that are blackened or yellowed.
How to prepare Sour Eel Soup with Water Lily
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Prepare the eel
After buying the eel, you should rub it with a bit of kitchen ash until the slime is removed, then cut off the head, tail, and remove the internal organs.
Wash the eel 2 – 3 times with warm water and let it drain, then use a knife to cut the eel into bite-sized pieces about 2 finger lengths long.
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Prepare the other ingredients
Water lily should be peeled of its thin outer skin, cut into bite-sized pieces, and washed thoroughly.
Pick the leaves and young shoots of basil, cilantro, and knotweed; remove the stems from the chili peppers and wash them with water, then let them drain. After that, chop all the herbs and chili peppers finely.
Pineapple should be peeled, eyes removed, washed clean, and then cut into small pieces.
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Cooking sour eel soup with water lily
Put 1 liter of water into a pot along with 1 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. When the water boils, continue to add pineapple, cooking over medium heat for about 5 minutes to extract the sweet juice from the pineapple.
Next, add the cleaned eel and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until the eel meat is cooked.
Add a mixture of seasonings to the pot including: 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, 2 tablespoons of tamarind juice, and stir well for the seasonings to dissolve.
Then drop the water lily into the pot, cook for about 2 minutes, and taste again to adjust the seasoning to your liking.
Finally, add chopped cilantro and chili, turn off the heat. Serve the soup in a bowl and enjoy.
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Final product
The sour eel soup is delicious, hot, with a refreshing sour taste and spicy flavor that is extremely satisfying. The eel meat is tender and sweet, fragrant, truly a perfect combination. You can serve this soup with a braised dish, eating it with hot rice is absolutely delightful.
How to choose fresh, delicious eels
- To buy chewy and delicious eels, you should choose eels that are of moderate size with two distinctly colored parts: the belly is yellow and the back is black.
- You should also prioritize buying eels that are still swimming to ensure the eel meat is fresh and sweet. Choose eels with intact bodies and skin, without too many injuries or scratches.
- Do not buy eels that are too large with shiny black skin as they may be farmed eels, which result in mushy meat and lack of aroma when cooked.
- If you buy pre-processed eels at reputable frozen stores or large supermarkets, make sure the eels do not have an unusual smell and are still within the usage date.
Tips for cleaning eels, removing slime
- Method 1: You can clean the eels and remove slime by using lemon juice or rice water to scrub the eels until the slimy feeling is gone.
- Method 2: Alternatively, you can soak the eels in warm water for about 15 minutes and then scrub off the slime.
- Method 3: A mixture of salt and vinegar is also very effective for cleaning eels; you can use this mixture to rub on the eels, then rinse thoroughly with water to clean off the slime.
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2 How to cook sour eel soup is very simple, delicious, and in just a few steps you have a delicious soup to treat your family. TasteVN wishes you success and wonderful moments with your family!
