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Sichuan fish with pickled mustard, also known as suan cai yu 酸菜魚, is one of my favourite dishes in Chinese cuisine. Using pickled mustard greens and delicious aromatics to make the broth, it uplifts the natural sweetness of the fresh fish fillets.

Together with Sichuan peppercorns and hot chilli peppers, this dish is packed with Sichuan-style flavours that will leave you craving for more! Alongside tender fish fillets, crunchy soybean sprouts, and pickled mustard greens, I also added tofu and chewy wide glass noodles to give additional textures to this homemade recipe. The tofu and wide glass noodles absorb all the rich flavours that burst into your mouth as you take a bite, making this dish incredibly irresistible and delicious!

This recipe is healthy, easy, and quick to make. Offering a pleasing balance of savoury, tangy, and numbing spicy flavours, this suan cai yu recipe is a must-try for those seeking a hearty, fulfilling meal.

What makes this Sichuan fish with pickled mustard (酸菜魚) so good

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• Simple and easy to make: This recipe is easy to make with simple steps. All you need to do is to stir-fry the vegetables, cook the glass noodles, and bring all other ingredients together, the meal will then be ready.
• A complete meal: With a combination of carbs, vegetables, and protein, this recipe offers a complete meal that you don’t even need to pair anything else with. 
• A hearty, comforting dish: This Sichuan fish with pickled mustard is packed with protein, antioxidants, and other nutritional benefits, making it a soul-satisfying and healthy dish to make at home. 

What is Sichuan fish with pickled mustard (酸菜魚)?

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Sichuan fish with pickled mustard, suan cai yu 酸菜魚, is a popular dish originated from Chongqing 重慶. Made mainly with pickled mustard greens, fish fillets, hot chilli peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, and ginger, this dish contains a combination of sour, tangy, savoury, and spicy flavours. Hence, it gains the name of suan cai yu, where suan cai 酸菜 represents the pickled mustard greens, and yu 魚 represents the fish fillets. 

It is said that in history, Sichuan folks would pickle mustard greens (芥菜) into sauerkraut in early winter, store them in large pots, and eat them as needed until the following summer. 

The most common story behind suan cai yu is that fishermen in the Jiangjin area of ​​Chongqing will exchange the leftover fish with the farmers on the river for pickled sauerkraut, and then cook them with fresh fish into soup. Because of the delicious taste, this dish has gained popularity since then.

Ingredients for Sichuan fish with pickled mustard (酸菜魚)

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• Pickled mustard greens: The main ingredient of this dish that gives a sour and tangy flavour.
• Fish fillets: This recipe uses 3 pieces of sole fillets.
• Soybean sprouts: They give an additional crunchiness to complement with the pickled mustard greens, and add a nutritional punch to the dish.
• Hard tofu: I’d recommend using hard tofu for this dish so they won’t break easily as you stir when cooking. 
• Wide glass noodles: This recipe uses 2 packs of wide glass noodles.
• Water: To make the broth. 
• Spices and aromatics: This recipe uses ginger, garlic, both fresh and dried hot chilli peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, and Sichuan peppercorn oil to create rich flavours and aromatic smell.
• Seasoning: Using a mix of chicken dense soup and sugar to add depth and richness to the flavours, and a slight sweetness to neutralise the sourness from pickled mustard greens.

For the marinade

• Rice wine: This helps remove the smell of frozen meats from the fish fillets.
• Cornstarch: This locks in the moisture and tenderises the fish.
• Salt and pepper: I seasoned the fish fillets with a pinch of salt and black pepper to enhance the flavour.

How to make Sichuan fish with pickled mustard (酸菜魚)

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1. Marinate the fish fillets for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the broth. In a large, deep pot, heat some oil over medium-high heat, then stir-fry minced garlic, ginger, and fresh hot chilli peppers until fragrant. 
3. Transfer the soybean sprouts and pickled mustard greens to the pot, stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. 

4. Pour in water, season with chicken dense soup and sugar, then stir to combine.
5. Add in wide glass noodles, place the ingredients on top of the noodles so they are fully covered in the broth. Cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

1. Add in hard tofu, fish fillets, and dried hot chilli peppers. Cook for 2-3 more minutes. Mix well.

1. While cooking the fish fillets in the pot, heat Sichuan peppercorn oil in another small pot. Add in Sichuan peppercorns, stir-fry until fragrant, then turn off the heat. 
2. Pour the Sichuan peppercorn oil over the fish pot.

Success tips for making Sichuan fish with pickled mustard (酸菜魚)

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Stir-fry soybean sprouts and pickled mustard greens before adding water.

By stir-frying soybean sprouts and pickled mustard greens with minced garlic, ginger, and fresh chillies, this makes the dish more aromatic. It also helps remove the grassy taste and beany smell of soybean sprouts, making the vegetables crunchier, crispier, and more refreshing!

Use hard tofu.

Since you’ll be stirring occasionally while cooking the dish, using hard tofu instead of soft tofu will allow them to absorb all the flavours from the broth without breaking.

Stir occasionally when cooking wide glass noodles.

Since wide glass noodles have a sticky nature which gives them the chewiness, they will easily stick to the bottom of the pot and even stick to each other. So be sure to stir occasionally to prevent this from happening.

Use a large, deep pot.

This recipe serves 4-5 people with ingredients in large amounts. Be sure to use a large, deep pot to ensure all the ingredients are cooked evenly with enough space. I used a 30 cm deep pot for this recipe.

Health benefits of this dish

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A protein-rich meal option

This dish contains fish fillets and tofu that are both a rich source of protein that helps your body build muscles, gain energy, and create antibodies to ward off illnesses. Fish is also packed with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and nutrients that can lower blood pressure, and improve heart health.

Rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals

With pickled mustard greens, hot chilli peppers, soybean sprouts, and other aromatics, suan cai yu contains a mix of ingredients with nutrients that help promote blood circulation, enhance the body’s immunity, and boost metabolism.

Low-fat, low calories

Most ingredients in Sichuan fish with pickled mustard, such as fish fillets, tofu, soybean sprouts, etc, are low in fat and calories, making this dish an ideal choice for a healthy diet.

Popular substitutions and additions

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• Use your own choice of noodles: I used wide glass noodles for this recipe as I love their chewy texture and they absorb a lot of soup, making them incredibly flavourful. Other types of noodles, such as udon noodles or rice noodles, also pair well with this tangy fish soup. If you’re using other types of noodles, be sure to slightly reduce the amount of water as they won’t absorb as much water as wide glass noodles do.
• Use other types of fish fillets: I used sole fillets for this recipe as they are tender and easy to handle. Other types of fish, such as grass carp (草魚) and seabass (鱸魚), are also commonly used for Sichuan fish with pickled mustard.
• Make the traditional way: Since this is an easy-to-make recipe, I used Knorr chicken dense soup (濃湯寶) to enhance the flavour of the broth. To make it more traditional and authentic, you can make a fish soup in advance to replace chicken dense soup and water. This will further enhance the natural sweetness from the fresh fish.

Fragranced with spices and delicious aromatics, this Sichuan fish with pickled greens offers a harmonious blend of rich flavours with a sharp, tangy punch. Easy and quick to make, this mouthwatering recipe is one you’ll want to make again and again!

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I’d love to hear about your experience making my recipes! If you’ve tried this Sichuan Fish with Pickled Mustard (Suan Cai Yu 酸菜魚) recipe or any other recipe on HomeCookJournal, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Feel free to take snapshots of your experience with my recipes and share them on Instagram so I can repost on stories! And if you have any other foods you’d like to make, please feel free to comment as well!