Southeast Asian-Inspired Salmon Soup

From EatingWell: March/April 2008 — Subscribe Now!

A touch of chile-garlic sauce and hot sesame oil add heat to this delicately flavored salmon soup without being overpowering.

READER'S COMMENT:

"Cooked this for my husband during Lent and loved it. My husband was very hesitant about salmon soup, but now he asks for the soup at least once a month! LOL Its one of his favorites. The flavors are great together, perfecctly described as...

Southeast Asian-Inspired Salmon Soup Recipe

6 servings, about 2 cups each

Active Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

2 ounces bean thread noodles, (see Note)
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons thinly sliced garlic
7 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 15-ounce can petite diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon fish sauce, (see Note)
1 tablespoon chile-garlic sauce, (see Note)
2 teaspoons hot sesame oil, or to taste
1 1/4 pounds wild salmon fillet, skinned (see Tip) and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup thinly sliced scallions
1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
Lime wedges, for garnish

Preparation

Place noodles in a large bowl, cover with hot tap water and soak until softened, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain.
Meanwhile, heat canola oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven. Add garlic and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel with a slotted spoon. (If the oil is too hot, the garlic will burn and become bitter so try a “tester” slice first before frying the rest.)
Carefully pour broth into the pan (it may spatter a little); bring to a boil. Stir in tomatoes and their juice, fish sauce, chile-garlic sauce and hot sesame oil. Stir in salmon, reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook until the salmon is nearly cooked through, about 2 minutes. Stir in the drained noodles and scallions and simmer 1 minute more.
Top with cilantro and the crispy garlic. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Tips & Notes

Notes: Look for bean thread noodles (sometimes labeled mung bean, glass or cellophane noodles) in the Asian section of most large supermarkets or at an Asian market.
Fish sauce is a pungent Southeast Asian condiment made from salted, fermented fish. Find it in the Asian section of large supermarkets and in Asian specialty markets. We use Thai Kitchen fish sauce, lower in sodium than other brands (1,190 mg per tablespoon), in our nutritional analyses.
A blend of ground chiles, garlic and vinegar, chile-garlic sauce is commonly used to add heat and flavor to Asian soups, sauces and stir-fries. It can be found in the Asian section of large supermarkets (sometimes labeled as chili-garlic sauce or paste) and keeps up to 1 year in the refrigerator.
Tip: Place the salmon fillet on a clean cutting board, skin side down. Starting at the tail end, slip the blade of a long, sharp knife between the fish flesh and the skin, holding the skin down firmly with your other hand. Gently push the blade along at a 30° angle, separating the fillet from the skin without cutting through either.

Nutrition

Per serving: 302 calories; 14 g fat (2 g sat, 6 g mono); 66 mg cholesterol; 15 g carbohydrates; 28 g protein; 1 g fiber; 654 mg sodium; 599 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Selenium (59% daily value), Vitamin C (20% dv), excellent source of omega-3s.

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 1 fat