Rice Soup with Fish, Ginger, and Onion

Name: Rice Soup with Fish, Ginger, and Onion
Yield: serves 4 as a light lunch, or 6 to 8 with 2 or 3 other dishes
Ingredients: 3/4 pound mild white fish fillet such as red snapper, sea bass, cod, or halibut, skin removed; 1 small red onion, thinly sliced; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon sugar; 1 tablespoon canola or other neutral oil; 2 tablespoons fish sauce; 2 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar; 2 tablespoons peeled and finely shredded fresh ginger (page 51); 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro; 8 cups Basic Rice Soup (page 67); 1 scallion, green part only, thinly sliced; Black pepper

December 14, 2011

Here is a soup that my father taught me. In a ceviche-like approach, raw fish is marinated with onion, ginger, and cilantro. The semicooked mixture is then placed in the bottom of soup bowls, and the final cooking is done by the hot rice soup. When brought to the table, the seemingly plain white soup conceals a pleasant surprise of fish. Pair it with one of the salads in Chapter 1 for a Vietnamese soup-and-salad meal.

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