Mediterranean-style Fish Soup
Features: White Fish
Cooking Technique: Large Pot
Serves: 4
Difficulty: Medium
Total Time: ~35 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 2 Tbls olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bulb of fennel, chopped (optional), reserve fronds for garnish
- 1 leek, white part only, sliced (optional)
- 1 can chopped tomatoes, 14.5 oz
- 6 oz white wine
- 1 Qt seafood (or vegetable) stock
- A few stems of thyme, or ½ tsp dried
- Spoonful of basil pesto (optional)
- Pinch of red pepper (Espelette is good, but any kind that you have)
- Pinch of saffron
- 1 lb. whitefish fillets (monkfish is ideal, but any sturdy white fish will do)
- Additions for a heartier soup: 2 potatoes peeled and chopped, or 1 can (14.5 oz) cannellini beans, or serve with garlic toast
INSTRUCTIONS
- Sauté onion and garlic (plus fennel and/or leek, if using) in oil for 10 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, wine, stock (potatoes or beans, if using). Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
- Take a small amount of stock out and soak saffron in it.
- Add the fish, bring back to a low simmer, and cook for 5 minutes, or until fish is done. Monkfish may take longer.
- Add the saffron and adjust seasoning (salt, pepper, lemon juice).
- Break up the fish into soup bowls, ladle out the vegetables and broth, and sprinkle fennel fronds if you have them.
