There’s nothing like the heartwarming feeling of slurping down a steaming bowl of fish soup, especially when winter’s chill is in the air. Beyond its ability to keep us warm, this comforting dish is a treat for the senses and packs with nutritious ingredients. It boasts a light yet flavourful profile, enriched by aromatic ingredients that leave you feeling truly satisfied 😊.
Lately, I’ve been craving a fish soup with a comforting warm rice mount. I was suddenly reminded of my old favorite fish soup in Indonesia, Batam Fish Soup or Sop Ikan Batam. Batam is the name of one of the cities in Riau Island province in Indonesia that is uniquely located closer to the neighboring countries, Singapore, compared to the capital city itself, Jakarta. This proximity makes Batam a favored destination for foreign tourists from Singapore and Malaysia. Amidst its local culinary delicacies, Batam is renowned for its seafood delicacies and its savory-sourish “Batam Fish Soup.”
In my opinion, what sets Batam Fish Soup apart is its slight, clear, aromatic broth and the tender texture of the fish. The exciting balance of savory and sour notes of the soups is attributed to the use of salted vegetables, tomatoes, or occasionally a native Indonesian fruit called Belimbing Wuluh (unfortunately, I couldn’t find the exact translation for this unique fruit, for now, let’s called it a mini “sour starfruit”).
With Vancouver’s weather playing nice and setting the stage for a tasty fish soup moment, I thought, why not share this goodness? So here’s my invite to join me in preparing this fish soup to warm your winter days 😊.
Ingredients
- 200 g of fish fillet (rockfish/ red snapper), sliced
- 1 stalk of green onion
- half pieces of medium sized red tomatoes, sliced
- 700 ml water
- 5 cloves of garlic
- Red onion
- 4 teaspoons of fish sauce
- ½ tsp white pepper
- Bok Choy
- 2 ½ tsp of salt
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp of stock powder
- 1 Jalapenos, diced
- Vegetable Oil
- lime or 4 tbsp lime juice
Instructions
- Prepare all ingredients. Soak the sliced fish into freshly squeezed lime juice.
- In a saucepan, heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, green onion, tomatoes, and jalapenos. Cook, tossing regularly for about 5 minutes or until the garlic browns and vegetables soften.
- Add the water and vegetables. In addition, add the sugar, salt, stock powder, white pepper, and fish sauce to the mixture. Bring the soup to a boil. Then lower the heat to medium-low and let the soup mixture simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the lime-soaked sliced fish to the soup mixture and cook for about 5-6 minutes or until the fish is cooked through (we don’t want to cook the fish for too long to retain the soft, cooked texture).
- Add more green onion and fried shallots or fried garlic minced for garnish. Serve immediately with warm rice.
