A Simple Fish Soup

This soup is both very simple to make and cheap and perfect mid week, especially when you have a bit of cooked leftover fish in the fridge. This is a recipe from a book called The Soup Bible. I love soups, especially when they are quite strong in flavour and warm since we often have cold winter days in Iceland. When I sit with a warm bowl filled with a wonderful soup I become very, very happy. I actually don't understand cold soups at all and I get nervous when offered one since my brain is wired to eat hot soups only ha ha. Am I drinking a veggie salsa? A dip for chips? Is it a drink? I know I know....I am a strange woman. This soup is perfect for those who are gluten and/or lactose intolerant since it doesn't contain any milk, cream or wheat. I think that the perfect name for this soup would be " The really, really cheap and non-fancy soup, perfect for mid week fish leftovers" but it might be a tad too long!

You will need a hand blender (or a food processor/blender) to make this recipe.


A very simple fish soup, perfect for mid week

This recipe is:

  • Egg free
  • Gluten free
  • Nut free

This recipe is easy to make:

  • Lactose (dairy) free

A Simple Fish Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1 small onion, peeled and chopped finely
  • 1 carrot (50 grams (1¾ oz)), peeled and chopped finely
  • 175 grams (6¼ oz) sweet potato, peeled and chopped finely
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 2-3 yeast free vegetable stock cubes
  • 3 tablespoons fish sauce (Nam Plah)
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 800 millilitres-1 litre (28-34 flluid oz) water
  • 175 grams (6¼ oz) white fish such as haddock, cod or halibut (it's best to buy the fish already scaled and trimmed of bones
  • 75 millilitres (2¾ fluid oz) skimmed milk (or light cream/oat cream)

Preparation

  1. Peel onion and chop coarsely.
  2. Wash and peel the 175 grams sweet potato and 1 carrot and chop coarsely.
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil in the saucepan.
  4. Add the chopped onion and fry for 5 minutes or until fragrant. Add a couple of tablespoons water if needed.
  5. Add the chopped sweet potato, chopped carrot, 1 teaspoon oregano, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2-3 vegetable stock cubes, 3 tablespoons fish sauce and 800 millilitres water (28 fluid oz) into the saucepan.
  6. Turn the heat up and let simmer for 15 minutes.
  7. Add 175 grams white fish and let simmer for 7-10 minutes.
  8. The sweet potatoes should be quite soft by now.
  9. Let the soup cool down for 15 minutes.
  10. Use a hand blender and mix the soup for 1-2 minutes. The texture should be quite smooth. You can also blend the soup in batches in a food processor or blender.
  11. Add 75 millilitres milk or light cream/oat cream.
  12. Turn the heat up and let the soup simmer for 2-3 minutes.
  13. Add 200 millilitres (7 fluid oz) water if a thinner soup is desired.

Tips

  • Serve with bread.
  • If you are lactose intolerant you can use oat cream instead of the milk or light cream (available in health food stores and some grocery stores). I prefer it to regular light cream.
  • The soup is even better the next day once the flavours have really settled. Pour the soup into plastic containers and re-heat the next day.
  • For a thinner soup add more water or milk.       
  • If the coconut oil is cold (in which case it becomes solid), place the jar in a bowl filled with hot water for a couple of minutes.         
  • You can use regular stock cubes instead of yeast free ones.
  • You can use chicken or fish stock instead of vegetable stock.     
  • The soup can be frozen and reheated later. 
  • You can use leftover fish (instead of fresh) in the soup. Add the leftovers in step 12 and let simmer for 5 minutes.