This Cambodian fish soup recipe, inspired by Amok in Cambodia, is a delicious soup made with cod and coconut cream. The soup gets much of its flavor from the fresh herbs in this recipe, including fresh cilantro and fresh mint. The best way to serve this fish soup (for looks and for taste) is with a beautiful, hearty dollop of coconut cream on top. MMM! Enjoy!
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Okay, I know. “Fish soup” isn’t the most appealing thing in the world to call this recipe. In fact, I really wanted to call this fish soup its true, authentic name in Cambodian, which is “Amok”. Unfortunately, the people of the interwebs aren’t searching for “amok” on Google, but they are searching for “fish soup.” So, here we are. A very un-pretty name for an actually very delicious meal!
What is Amok?
This Cambodian Amok is a very popular dish in Cambodia. Many times it is cooking in a bowl made of banana leaves, and the fish is steamed until the liquid that surrounds it turns the fish into a custard. This can be enjoyed with fish, as it is here, or with chicken or other seafood.
Amok is one of the most popular dishes in all of Cambodia. Each Cambodian grandmother has their own special way to make this dish, each of which doesn’t live up to anyone else’s grandma.
Every restaurant in Cambodia also serves this dish. Not only is it a delicious, widely popular meal, but it’s also easy to make at home.
Fish Soup with Coconut Milk
This fish soup, or amok, is made with coconut milk. That means that it is dairy free and perfect for pescatarians! It is also Whole30 compliant. Wowwee! Delicious AND healthy. What a perfect meal 😉
Which Fish is Best to Use?
Good question! I really liked making this fish soup with cod, mostly because it’s a fish that is familiar to me. Cod is easy to find and easy to cook.
If you’d prefer, you can also make this soup with catfish or snapper. Any fresh water fish that is a bit on the tougher side will work.
How Long will this Fish Soup Last in the Fridge?
I tend to be a bit conservative in my recommendations of how long fish will keep in the fridge. A safe bet is that your fish soup will last about 3-4 days in the fridge as long as it is covered and kept cool.
In order to heat up the leftovers, you can microwave them, but my ultimate suggestion is to heat them up on the stove again!
What Ingredients are in this Fish Soup Recipe?
- Olive oil
- Lemon zest
- Lime zest
- Fresh mint
- Fresh cilantro
- Garlic
- Turmeric
- Coconut milk
- Fish sauce
- Brown sugar
- Cod, or another freshwater fish
How to Make this Fish Soup
Salt and pepper the cod
Coat the bottom of a sauce pan in olive oil
Add the zests, garlic, mint, cilantro, and turmeric and cook until fragrant
Stir in coconut milk, fish sauce, and brown sugar and allow to cook for 10 minutes
Add cod and allow to cook for another 10 or so minutes, until cod is cooked all the way through.
Serve with coconut cream.
Enjoy!
How does this Fish Soup Recipe compare to Authentic Amok?
To be fair, this fish soup recipe is very similar to amok from Cambodia, but it’s not completely the same. First off, amok is made in banana leaf bowls, and when you steam it, the liquid in the fish soup recipe is meant to turn into a custard consistency. This recipe does not truly ever reach that custardy consistency, and instead stays pretty liquid-y!
In Cambodia, this recipe is also made with some ingredients that are more difficult to find in western grocery stores, so I made replacements wherever possible. For example, I replaced the lemongrass in this recipe with lemon and lime zest!
Well, that’s about everything you need to know about making this amok or fish soup recipe from Cambodia! If you really liked this recipe and want to try more fish recipes from The Foreign Fork, you can also check out these recipes for:
- Caribbean Seafood Salad from Antigua and Barbuda
- Mussel from Belgium
- Dopeaja with Shrimp from Bangladesh
- Salmon in the Instant Pot
- Best Cheese for French Onion Soup
And, as always, if you make this recipe, don’t forget to take a photo and post it on Facebook and Instagram and tag @TheForeignFork and hashtag #TheForeignFork! Thanks for stopping by and I will see you soon!
Cambodian Fish Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Zest of one lemon
- Zest of one lime
- 2 Handfuls of mint and cilantro together, chopped
- 2 tsp chopped garlic
- ½ tsp powdered turmeric
- 1 can coconut milk
- 2 tsp fish sauce
- ½ tbsp brown sugar
- 1 lb cod, cut into cubes
Instructions
- Salt and pepper your cod
- Coat the bottom of a large sauce pan in olive oil
- Add the zests, garlic, mint, cilantro, and turmeric and cook, stirring until fragrant
- Add coconut milk, fish sauce, and brown sugar and allow to cook for 10 minutes
- Add cod and allow to cook for another 10 or so minutes, until cod is cooked all the way through.
- Serve with coconut cream.
- Enjoy! Leave a review on this post letting me know what you think!
Liba says
Easy and really tasty!
The Foreign Fork says
So glad you liked it Liba!
Sammy says
This isn’t amok at all. It’s nice that you’re bringing exposure to Cambodian cuisine but this is consider Cambodia’s national dish and the ingredients are completely off. The only difference is not just the fact that’s it’s steamed in a banana leaf but the profile of flavors. It may be a nice interpretation of the dish to best suit you and the American palette but please do not pass this off as Cambodian or Amok. The main ingredient of Amok and many of Cambodian dishes is Kreung which is a blend of spices that includes lemongrass, galangal, among other things which are not in your ingredient.
Alexandria Drzazgowski says
Hi Sammy,
I actually completely agree with you! Which is why I made sure to include the final section of the post…. I had a really hard time finding almost ANY of the ingredients needed for amok in America, which is why the flavors and technique are different. I did mention that this recipe is not authentic, but instead “inspired”. I would absolutely love to go to Cambodia one day and try real amok, as it seems wonderful <3 for now, I will have to settle for a modified version that I can make at home while still trying my best to experience the culture of other countries 🙂