Fish soup with chilli and coriander
- By Paul Rankin
This is a quick and simple version of the classic “fish soup”. The base can be pureed to give an elegant soup,
or left chunky for plenty of character.
Ingredients
• 2 tbsp butter
For the garnish:
• 1 large onion, about 300g, finely chopped
• 125ml/4floz whipping cream (optional)
• 1 stick celery, finely sliced
• 450g mixed fish fillets (e.g. hake, cod, monkfish,
• 125g/4oz button mushrooms, sliced
prawns, salmon, etc), cut into 1cm/½ inch dice
• 3 tomatoes, cut into 1cm/½ inch dice
• 4 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• Pinch saffron
• 1 tbsp harissa (or another hot chilli paste will suffice)
• 1 litre fish stock, or chicken stock
• Salt and pepper
1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onions,
celery, and mushrooms, and sweat for about 10 minutes,
over medium heat, until soft. 2. Now add the tomatoes,
tomato paste, saffron, harissa, stock, and a little salt.
3. Bring to the boil, skim off any scum or foam, reduce
the heat to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes, or until
the vegetables are soft. If you enjoy a smooth textured
soup, puree in a blender, or food processor, and return
to the saucepan. Taste for salt and pepper, and adjust to
suit your tastes. To serve, bring the soup to the boil. Stir
in most of the cream, (save a few tablespoons for the
final presentation) and all of the fish. Bring the soup just
back to the boil, and then remove from the heat, and
allow to stand for 5 minutes. Pour into warmed soup
plates, drizzle the remaining cream on as garnish, toss
the coriander liberally over, and serve.
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