Singaporean Fish Soup Noodles

Here's a quick one pot meal I like to make when I'm craving one of my favourite hawker meals at home. It's surprisingly easy to make at and helps me incorporate more fish into my family's diet.

To be more traditional you don’t need to add meatballs, but we like including them for the extra protein for the kids.

Feel free to add soft tofu, use different noodles or other veggies too if you like, this recipe is flexible and forgiving, just like all good comfort food should be.

Why I Love It:

✔️ One pot, easy cleanup
✔️ Gentle flavours but packed with nutrients
✔️ Feeds the whole family from babies to grownups
✔️ Flexible base for whatever greens, protein, or noodles you have on hand

Ingredients:

🐟 For the fish:

• 1 fillet snakehead fish (about 250g), sliced
• Marinade:
  1 tsp soy sauce
  1 tsp sesame oil
  1 tsp corn flour
  1 tsp Shao Xing wine
  White pepper

🍖 For the meatballs:

• 300g minced meat (pork or chicken)
• Marinade:
  2 tsp soy sauce
  1 tsp sesame oil
  2 tsp corn flour
  ½ tsp sugar
  Dash of white pepper

🍲 Soup base & toppings

• 2–3 slices ginger + 3 cloves garlic (smashed)
• 1 stalk spring onion, sliced (white and green parts separated)
• 1L chicken stock (or water + no-MSG stock cube)
• 1 packet xiao bai cai (or any leafy greens)
• 1 packet thick bee hoon noodles
• 3 tbsp evaporated milk (more if you like it very milky)
• 1–2 tomatoes, quartered
• Fish sauce, Shao Xin wine + sugar, to taste

🌿 Garnish

• Spring onion, fried shallots, fried garlic in oil, white pepper
• For adults: sliced red chilli in soy sauce

Instructions:

1. Marinate the fish slices and minced meat separately. Set aside while prepping the soup base.
2. In a pot, sauté ginger, garlic and the white parts of spring onion in a little oil until fragrant.
3. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a gentle boil.
4. Scoop in small spoonfuls of the minced meat to form meatballs. Let simmer for a few minutes until they float.
5. Add fish slices and simmer until just cooked through.
6. Add greens and thick bee hoon noodles, they cook quickly so move fast.
7. Stir in evaporated milk and bring the soup back to a gentle simmer.
8. Add tomatoes.
9. Season with fish sauce, Shao Xin wine and a pinch of sugar, taste and add more evaporated milk or seasonings as needed.
10. Garnish with spring onion, fried shallots, garlic and white pepper.
11. Serve immediately. Best eaten around the family table before the noodles get soggy, slurping included!

👶🏻 Toddler-Friendly Tip:

If cooking for babies who can’t take seasoning, marinate a separate portion of meat and fish with only sesame oil and white pepper (and corn flour if you’re okay with it).
Cook theirs in a separate pot, following the same method up to step 6!