Comforting Fish Soup (Printable Version)
Tender white fish and shrimp simmered with vegetables and herbs in a savory broth, finished with parsley and lemon.
# Ingredient List:
→ Seafood
01 - 14 oz white fish fillets (cod or haddock), skinless and boneless, cut into 2-inch chunks
02 - 5 oz large shrimp, peeled and deveined
→ Vegetables
03 - 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
04 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
05 - 2 medium carrots, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
06 - 1 medium leek, cleaned and sliced into half-moons
07 - 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
08 - 2 celery stalks, diced
09 - 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes with their juices
→ Liquids
10 - 4 cups fish stock or vegetable stock
11 - ⅓ cup dry white wine
12 - 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
→ Spices and Herbs
13 - 1 bay leaf
14 - ½ teaspoon dried thyme
15 - ½ teaspoon dried oregano
16 - Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
17 - 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped for garnish
18 - Lemon wedges for serving
# How to Make:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sliced leek, stirring occasionally, and cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
02 - Add the minced garlic, sliced carrots, diced celery, and cubed potatoes to the pot. Stir to combine and cook for an additional 5 minutes, allowing the vegetables to begin releasing their flavors.
03 - Pour in the dry white wine and let it simmer for 2 minutes until slightly reduced. Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, fish stock, bay leaf, dried thyme, and dried oregano. Stir well to incorporate all ingredients.
04 - Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes and carrots are fork-tender.
05 - Gently lower the fish chunks and shrimp into the simmering broth. Continue cooking over low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, just until the fish turns opaque and flakes easily with a fork and the shrimp are pink and curled. Avoid overcooking.
06 - Taste the broth and adjust with salt and pepper as needed. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Ladle the hot soup into warmed bowls, garnish generously with fresh parsley, and serve immediately alongside lemon wedges.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The broth tastes like it simmered all day but honestly comes together in under an hour, which feels like getting away with something.
- It converts even the most skeptical seafood eaters at your table because the fish is gentle and the broth does all the heavy lifting.
02 -
- Do not let the soup come to a hard boil once the fish goes in, or the delicate pieces will disintegrate into cloudy shreds instead of staying in lovely tender chunks.
- Leeks hide an astonishing amount of grit between their layers, so slice them open and rinse thoroughly under running water before they get anywhere near your pot.
03 -
- Pat the fish chunks completely dry before adding them to the pot so they sear slightly rather than just steaming in the broth.
- Let the soup rest off the heat for five minutes before serving because the flavors settle and deepen in a way that immediate ladling never allows.