Vietnamese Chicken and Pineapple Soup

⏳ Time

1 hour

🥕 Ingredients

🍽️ Servings

Description

This Vietnamese recipe for chicken and pineapple soup is a clear and simple demonstration of how to bring together not only meat and fruit in one pot but also different culinary genres. A sweet-sour-spicy soup made with pineapple? It’s gastronomic discoveries like these that make exploring the culinary traditions of the world worthwhile. Try making this soup and notice how the acidity of the pineapple enhances the heat of the peppers, and how seamlessly the chicken breast fits into this delightful combination.

Ingredients

Pineapple - 1 piece
Vegetable Oil - ¼ glasses
Skin-On Chicken Breasts - 2 pieces
Thai Bird's Eye Chili - 4 pieces
Garlic - 4 cloves
Fish Oil - ⅓ glasses
Shimeji mushrooms - 8.1 oz
Tomatoes - 2 pieces
Ground Black Pepper - a pinch
Basil - ⅓ bunches
Fresh Mint - ⅓ bunches
Peanut Sprouts - 1 glass
Oregano - 2 stalks
Salt - ½ spoons

Step by Step guide

Step 1

Peel the pineapple, cut it lengthwise into four parts, and remove the core. Coarsely chop the core and place it in a blender. Add 500 ml of water and blend until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve and add another liter of water.

Step 2

Slice the flesh into 1.5 cm thick pieces and place them in a bowl. Thinly slice the shiitake caps. Chop the tomatoes.

Step 3

Wrap the skinless, boneless chicken breasts in plastic wrap and pound them with a meat mallet. Cut into 1 cm thick strips, transfer to a bowl, and cover with a lid or plastic wrap.

Step 4

In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Add finely chopped chili along with the seeds and two minced garlic cloves, and sauté, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add 1/4 cup of fish sauce, bring to a boil, and reduce by half. Pour in the pineapple juice and bring to a boil. Add the pineapple, shiitake mushrooms, tomatoes, and bean sprouts, then add black pepper and bring to a boil. Cover and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes.

Step 5

Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet, add the minced garlic, and sauté for about 30 seconds. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of fish sauce and reduce by half. Add the chicken, season with pepper, stir, and simmer until cooked through for about 4 minutes. Plate the meat and pour the pineapple soup over it.