Sichuan Pickled Fish Soup
A vibrant, numbing-spicy Sichuan broth with tender fish, pickled mustard greens, and chilies. The soup balances heat, umami, and tangy sourness in one deeply flavored bowl.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 245
- Protein
- 28g
Ingredients
- ¾ lb white fish fillet (cod, halibut, or sea bass)
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- ½ cup pickled mustard greens (zha cai), rinsed
- 3 whole dried red chilies
- 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled
- 3 whole garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 2 whole scallion, white and light green parts
- 0 to taste salt and white pepper to taste
Instructions
- 1
Place the fish fillet on a cutting board and slice it straight across into 1/4-inch-thick pieces, like cutting bread — this helps the fish cook evenly and quickly.
- 2
Peel the ginger by scraping with the edge of a spoon, then slice it into thin matchsticks — about the width of a pencil lead — by laying the peeled piece flat and slicing lengthwise.
- 3
Smash the garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife or a garlic press — this releases their flavor and makes them easier to find in the finished soup.
- 4
Slice each scallion lengthwise from the root end to the tip into two halves, then cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces — separate the white and light green parts from the dark green tops.
- 5
Pour the neutral oil into a medium pot and place it over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers and slides quickly when you tilt the pan, about 90 seconds.
- 6
Add the dried red chilies and Sichuan peppercorns to the hot oil, then stir constantly for 30 seconds until they smell deeply fragrant and the oil turns reddish — this blooms their flavors.
- 7
Add the smashed garlic and ginger matchsticks to the pot, then stir constantly for another 20 seconds until they become fragrant — do not let them brown.
- 8
Pour in the broth, increase the heat to high, and bring to a rolling boil — you will see large bubbles breaking rapidly on the surface, about 4 minutes.
- 9
Add the pickled mustard greens and the white and light green scallion pieces to the boiling broth, then stir once to combine.
- 10
Return the broth to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and add the fish slices, stirring gently as they fall into the broth so they separate and do not clump together.
- 11
Simmer for 3 minutes until the fish slices turn opaque white throughout — the flesh should flake easily when prodded with a fork and should no longer look translucent or raw.
- 12
Remove the pot from the heat and stir in 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar — taste the soup and add salt and white pepper until it balances salty, sour, and spicy flavors.
- 13
Ladle the soup into two bowls, dividing the fish, pickled mustard greens, and broth evenly between them — arrange the dark green scallion tops on top of each bowl.
Tools you’ll need
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- spoon (for scraping ginger)
- medium pot (3-4 quart)
- wooden spoon or ladle
- two soup bowls
- ladle
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