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So, here’s the first question I had when I was trying to name this easy soup recipe… is it cioppino? Is it bouillabaisse? Or is both?
Well, it turns out it’s neither. It’s actually more like a fish chowder because the shrimp is deshelled and I didn’t add mussels or clams (too complicated and creepy). So let me do a quick breakdown of what the difference is between the three, just in case you ever need to sound like an expert on brothy fish.
Cioppino is Italian inspired fish soup with a true tomato base. The fish and seafood contents can vary based on what’s available.
Bouillabaisse is a French-inspired soup with a fish broth that happens to have chunks of tomato in it. It also has saffron as a signature ingredient.
Plain old fish soup is a really chunky soup with a tomato base and lots of fish and veggies.
Personally, that last one sounded the best (and let’s be honest, it’s the easiest to make and eat by a long shot), so that’s what we’re going with.
A Few Pointers on Making Fish Soup
When it comes to fish, anything goes.
If you're new to making a fish soup (or cioppino, or bouillabaisse), the good news is that anything goes in terms of the seafood you chose to go with. My husband can't stand anything that comes in a shell (except for shrimp), so I steer clear of musselsand clams. Also, the idea of boiling anything that's alive just gives me the total jeebs, so I am happy to leave them out
Tomato Base or Not, It's Up To You
I used a can of tomatoes and half a bottle of spaghetti sauce because that's what I had on hand and I like the chunky texture of the sauce in my soup. It adds more interest and a lot more flavor. If you decide just to use canned tomatoes and skip the sauce, you'll probably want to add more Italian spices like basil and oregano.
Adding Garlic Bread is Awesome (If you're not watching carbs)
Ah, I used to love garlic bread. When I was young and poor, that's was my go-to order at restaurants as an entree. If you're looking for an alternative to regular French-style bread to serve with the soup, you could experiment with some keto bread (something I've yet to try). It's never going to be as good as the real deal, but it's worth the adventure!
Have you tried these soup recipes yet?
Creamy Tomato + Tofu Soup Recipe (vegan)
Roasted Red Pepper, Carrot + Ginger Soup Recipe
Artichoke Cauliflower + Artichoke Sou Recipe-Paleo+GlutenFree
Are you on the Portion Fix Meal Plan or 2B Mindset?
Following the Portion Fix? One serving of this fish soup is 1 green and 1 red.
1/2 bottle of your favorite pasta sauce, approximately 14 ounces
4 cups chicken or veggie broth
1 lb white fish, cod or tilapia work well
6 medium shrimp, raw frozen & deshelled
Sea Salt to taste
Tsp dried thyme
Cilantro for garnish
Instructions
Add the garlic, onions and olive oil to a large pot and stir until onions start to caramelize.
Next add the celery, carrots and potatoes, thyme and stir for 5 minutes.
Add soup stock, canned tomatoes and pasta sauce. Keep stirring.
Cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are almost tender. Add the fish and shrimp. Note - if you’re using pre-cooked shrimp, defrost them first and add them at the last minute until they are fully heated.
Cook for 5 to 7 minutes longer or until fish looks cooked.
Remove from heat, portion in 4 bowls and garnish with cilantro.
Did you make this recipe?
What did you think of the recipe? Leave a comment below or click on the Instagram icon to share a picture of your creation! Be sure to tag me in your picture so I can share it too.
Caren
Caren is a certified yoga teacher, fitness instructor and ADHD Coach. As the founder of The Fit Habit, she shares ADHD-friendly self-care, food & fitness inspiration, along with practical ways to foster mind + body wellness.
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Also, you can marinate the fish in a mixture of lemon juice, vinegar, and water for 30 minutes. This will help to neutralize the fishy taste. Cooking the fish using a cooking method that will not allow the fishy flavor to become pronounced, such as grilling, baking, or steaming can help as well.
Cioppino, bourride, brodetto, cacciucco, zarzuela, gumbo. Fish soup. Shellfish stew. Beyond a wealth in tradition, what they have in common is the use of several varieties of fish or seafood cooked in one pot with vegetables and aromatics.
Flour: Thicken the chowder up with all-purpose flour. Seasonings: Season the fish chowder with Old Bay seasoning, salt, and pepper. Evaporated milk: Evaporated milk makes the chowder even thicker and richer.
Cooking your seafood with lemon or adding a spritz at the end is an easy way to get rid of that fishy flavor. If you've ever cooked fish at home, you're probably familiar with that unpleasant "fishy" taste seafood sometimes takes on.
How To Do It: Combine ½ cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon), and fresh herbs (such as cilantro, basil, rosemary, or thyme) removed from the stems and loosely chopped. Brush the marinade on the fish and let sit for about 5 minutes before cooking.
Fish soups are similar to and often indistinct from fish stews, though soup is generally wetter than stew. Fish soups have been made since early times.
Since fish contain many essential nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids and high quality proteins, moderate consumption (including pregnant women and young children) of a variety of fish is recommended. In addition, fish soup can be a source of nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids.
This soup is laden with crabs, king prawns, gigantic snails, periwinkles, ngolo (whelks), and barracuda fish; if you like seafood, this is the soup for you. She says, “this soup is filled with lots of nutritious ingredients and it is a seafood delight.”
For clear, brothy soups, stock is your most important ingredient. If you want to make a good soup, you need to use an excellently flavored stock — otherwise, the entire pot could be tasteless.
"Ground paprika, turmeric, nutmeg, ground ginger, and other powdered spices add a touch of color and spiciness to broths," she says. As a general rule, use fresh herbs at or near the end of cooking and dried herbs and spices early on. This helps you get the flavors you're looking for in the right balance.
Evaporated milk works well as a substitute for heavy cream in sauces or soups calling for whole milk. In the making of evaporated milk, regular cow's milk is pressure-cooked until it sheds about half of its water content, making it thicker in consistency. For a healthy substitute, try evaporated skim milk.
One of the good ways on how to get rid of fishy smell before cooking is to use milk. The way to do is very simple. You only need to take the fish or seafood to soak in milk and rinse it off after that. Milk will help absorb the fishiness from the seafood and make it milder.
To get rid of the fishy smell, I always use lime juice and ginger to do the job. Always serve the dish hot when you're using fish stock. Add salt, some herbs and spices, carrots or other vegetables, homemade fish ball, prawns, or crab stick, and you'll get a delicious soup ready for the whole family.
Introduction: My name is Aron Pacocha, I am a happy, tasty, innocent, proud, talented, courageous, magnificent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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