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Gaeng pa (spicy fish soup): recipe illustration
Soups

Gaeng pa (spicy fish soup)

A clear, very spicy fish soup flavored with lemongrass and chili, guaranteed to warm you from head to toe. It is traditionally served with sticky rice and eaten as a complete meal.

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Ingredients

Ingredients

Spices & seasoning

Optional extras

On the side

Instructions

  1. Bring the water to a boil with the bruised lemongrass and the galangal, then let it simmer for 5 minutes.
  2. In a mortar, crush the garlic, shallot, chilies and a pinch of salt into a paste.
  3. Add this paste to the broth and let it infuse for another 3 minutes.
  4. Add the mushrooms and green beans and cook for 5 minutes.
  5. Lay the fish pieces in the soup and poach them for 6 to 8 minutes, without stirring too hard.
  6. Season with fish sauce, pepper and a spoonful of lime juice if you like some sourness.
  7. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and serve very hot with the sticky rice.

Variations and tips

Shrimp version. Replace the fish with peeled shrimp, which only need 2 minutes to cook.

Less spicy. Reduce the chilies to two and remove the seeds for a milder soup that is still fragrant.

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Original Ecomely recipe.