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Fish (or Vegetable) Soup

Recipe and image from “Vegan Vegetarian Omnivore” by Anna Thomas. Copyright © 2016 by Anna Thomas. Used with permission of the publisher, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Anna Thomas calls this “the easiest fish soup or stew I know.” Despite its name, fish soup is vegan-friendly and vegetable-based. Ladle up the vegetable soup for the plant-based people and add the fish at the last for fishaterians. Either way, “the result is a fresh and lively flavor.” It perfectly illustrates the concept of her book, subtitled “Dinner for everyone at the table.” Thomas suggests choosing the freshest fish you find. “Mix several kinds. I’ve had good results with cod, halibut, sea bass, red snapper (watch for bones), monkfish, scallops, prawns, clams . . .”

Ingredients
  

  • 3-4 stalks celery 8 ounces, sliced
  • 1 pound small potatoes cut in wedges or diced
  • 4-5 medium carrots 12 ounces, sliced
  • 3 cups peeled tomatoes cut up (canned are okay)
  • 2 fennel bulbs 12 ounces, quartered and sliced
  • 1 large red bell pepper 5 ounces, quartered and thinly sliced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 teaspoons dried tarragon or t tablespoon fresh tarragon
  • 2-3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves chopped
  • 6 cups light vegetable broth
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt plus more to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 3/4 cup 1-1/2 oz. fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 large onions quartered and sliced
  • 1 large leek 5 ounces, white part only, sliced
  • 6-7 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1 cup dry white wine plus more to taste
  • about 3 pounds assorted fish and shellfish
  • optional:
  • crushed red chiles
  • croutons
  • garnish:
  • extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions
 

  • Combine the first 6 vegetables in a large pot with 5 cups water, the bay leaves, tarragon, thyme, vegetable broth, salt, and pepper to taste. Simmer for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are just tender, and add the fresh parsley.
  • Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large nonstick pan and sauté the onions in it over medium heat for 10 minutes, until they are limp and beginning to color. Add the leeks and continue sautéing over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until everything is soft and golden. Push the onions and leeks to the edges of the pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in the middle, and when it is hot add the garlic and sizzle it for about a minute. Add this mixture to the soup, deglazing the pan with a bit of the broth. Add the white wine, bring the soup back to a simmer for 10 minutes, taste, and correct the seasoning with salt and pepper if needed, and crushed red chiles if you like.
  • Trim your fish if it needs trimming, and cut fillets into cubes or slices. Wash shellfish thoroughly. Do not peel shrimp.
  • No more than 5 minutes before you want to serve the soup, bring it back to a simmer, remove and discard the bay leaves, and add the fish—denser fish first, more delicate fish last. Simmer only until the fish is opaque and flaking and the shrimp are pink, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve the soup at once, in large bowls, and drizzle olive oil on top of each serving. Add croutons if you like, or have plenty of fresh sourdough bread or garlic toast for dipping.

Notes

A Practical Note . . .This recipe is scaled for a dinner party, enough for 8 to 10. If you are 4 or 5 at the table and planning on leftovers, add half the amount of fish to half the vegetable soup, and repeat this on another night for fresh-tasting soup.
Another Way . . . with a Cheese Crouton The hearty vegan vegetable soup that is the base for my fish soup is delicious on its own, but can also be dressed up with a cheese crouton for the vegetarians at the table. For each crouton: brush a thick slice of baguette with olive oil and toast it in a hot pan, a couple of minutes on each side, until it has golden brown edges. (This can be done in advance.) Top each crouton with a heaping spoonful of shredded Gruyere or a thick smear of fresh goat cheese, and toast under the broiler just until the cheese is hot and melty, 1 or 2 minutes. Drop a crouton on top of a generous bowl of vegetable soup, and serve.