Don Signature Crab - Singapore Food Guide

Clear Sliced Fish Soup

A light, Singapore-style clear sliced fish soup — delicate poached white fish in a fragrant ginger-scallion broth, perfect for a family weeknight or supper from the kopitiam to your home.

Clear Sliced Fish Soup

About this dish

Clear sliced fish soup is a classic Singapore comfort dish that you'll find from heartland zi char stalls to kopitiam lunch counters in Tiong Bahru and the East Coast. The broth is clean and aromatic — simmered with ginger and spring onions — while thinly sliced white fish stays tender and silky, making it ideal for busy parents, convalescents, or late-night supper runs.

In Singapore homes we often serve this soup with steamed jasmine rice and a simple plate of greens like kai lan or baby bok choy on the side. Hawker centres sometimes add tomatoes, tofu or small clams; at home you can customise the soup with taugeh, tofu or a dash of fish sauce for extra umami. The flavour profile is bright, savoury and slightly peppery from white pepper, with the ginger providing warmth and the coriander and fried shallots delivering fresh, aromatic finish.

This recipe keeps things simple and achievable in a typical Singapore kitchen — a wok, a pot, and ingredients available at NTUC FairPrice, Cold Storage or the wet market. It’s an everyday crowd-pleaser: light enough for post-work dinners, wholesome for children and elders, and soothing for anyone craving a plain, deeply satisfying bowl.

Ingredients

  • 400 g firm white fish fillets (sea bass, cod or korean pollock), skin removed
  • 1.2 litres water (or 1 litre water + 200 ml light fish stock made from fish bones)
  • 30 g young ginger (about 3 slices per bowl), thinly sliced
  • 3 stalks spring onion (scallions), halved lengthwise and sliced on the bias
  • 2 cloves garlic, lightly smashed
  • 1 small tomato, cut into wedges (optional for a touch of sweetness and colour)
  • 100 g silken tofu, cut into 2 cm cubes (optional)
  • 1 tsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce (or adjust to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper (plus extra to taste)
  • 1 tsp salt (adjust after tasting)
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil or neutral oil
  • 1 tsp shaoxing wine or dry rice wine (optional)
  • 1 tsp cornflour dissolved in 1 tbsp water (optional for a slightly silky finish — omit for totally clear broth)
  • Fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves, to garnish
  • Crispy fried shallots, to garnish
  • Sliced red chilli or chilli padi, to serve (optional)
  • Steamed jasmine rice, to serve

Step-by-Step Method

  1. Prepare the fish: pat fillets dry and slice thinly across the grain into 0.5 cm slices. If you prefer firmer slices, toss fish briefly with 1 tsp cornstarch and a pinch of salt (velveting) and set aside.
  2. Make the base: heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a medium pot or wok over medium heat. Add smashed garlic and half the sliced ginger; stir-fry for 30 seconds until aromatic but not browned.
  3. Add water and/or fish stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Skim any scum that rises for a clearer broth, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer.
  4. Simmer with aromatics: add remaining ginger slices and the white part of the spring onions. Simmer for 8–10 minutes to infuse the broth with ginger flavour. For deeper flavour, add fish bones or a small fish head during this step then remove.
  5. Season the broth with light soy sauce, fish sauce, 1/2 tsp white pepper and 1 tsp salt. Taste and adjust like a zi char cook — balance salt and umami carefully.
  6. Add vegetables and tofu: if using tomato, tofu or leafy greens (taugeh, baby bok choy), add them now and simmer for 1–2 minutes until just tender.
  7. Poach the fish slices: increase heat to medium-high so the broth is at a gentle boil. Add fish slices in a single layer and gently stir once to separate. Poach for 1–2 minutes until fish turns opaque and flakes easily — do not overcook.
  8. Finish the soup: if using cornflour slurry for a slightly silky mouthfeel, stir the slurry and drizzle in while stirring once the fish is nearly cooked. Bring back to a simmer and remove from heat immediately.
  9. Garnish and serve: ladle soup into bowls, sprinkle with spring onion greens, coriander and crispy fried shallots. Serve hot with steamed jasmine rice and condiments like sliced chilli or sambal on the side.
  10. Leftovers and reheating: cool quickly and store in the fridge up to 2 days. Reheat gently over low heat — avoid boiling vigorously to prevent the fish from falling apart.

Tips & Serving Ideas

  • Buy fresh fish from the wet market for the best flavour — ask the fishmonger for fillets suitable for soup (seabass or cod). NTUC FairPrice and Cold Storage also carry frozen fillets if you need convenience.
  • For a clearer broth, blanch fish bones quickly and discard the first boil, then make the stock; skim scum while it simmers.
  • Adjust the seasoning gradually: a little fish sauce adds umami but can be salty—titrate to taste like a hawker would.
  • Don’t overcook the fish — thin slices need just 1–2 minutes in simmering broth. Watch for the flesh turning opaque as the cue to stop.
  • If feeding children or elders, leave out chilli padi and serve sambal on the side so individuals can add heat.
  • Make-ahead: prepare the ginger-scallion stock in advance and refrigerate for up to 2 days; quickly poach fresh fish when ready to serve.
  • To keep the soup light for lunchboxes, pack fish separately and combine with warmed broth at time of eating to avoid soggy fish.

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