Fish Soup with Vegetables and Saffron
Fish soup turns muddy and bitter if the stock simmers longer than 25 minutes. Fish bones release bitter compounds after that. And the fish itself goes in for the last 5 minutes only, because it cooks fast and falls apart if you give it more.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 60 min
- Calories
- 230
Fish soup is one of the richest soups and one of the quickest, and it uses the parts that normally get thrown away — the heads and the bones. Every problem it has is about timing, not ingredients.
Method
-
1
Clean the bones
Rinse the heads and bones well and remove the gills completely. Gills are intensely bitter and they are the number one cause of bitter fish stock.
⏱ 12 min -
2
A short stock
Simmer the bones with one onion and the bay leaves in 6 cups of water for 20 minutes only. Past 25 minutes the bones start releasing bitter compounds — the exact opposite of beef stock.
⏱ 22 min -
3
Strain
Strain the stock through a fine sieve or a cloth and discard the bones. Skim off any foam on the surface — that foam is coagulated protein and it clouds the soup.
⏱ 6 min -
4
Build the vegetable base
Fry the second onion, the celery and the carrot in the olive oil for 8 minutes, then add the garlic and grated tomato and cook 5 minutes more.
⏱ 14 min -
5
Simmer
Pour in the strained stock, add the potatoes and the soaked saffron, and simmer gently for 15 minutes until the potato is tender.
⏱ 17 min -
6
Fish goes in last
Cut the fillet into large cubes and add them, then cook for 5 minutes only, until the flesh turns opaque. Any longer and it disintegrates into the soup.
⏱ 6 min -
7
Lemon and parsley
Take it off the heat and stir in the lemon juice and chopped parsley. The acidity lifts the sea flavour and balances it.
⏱ 3 min
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Tips that actually matter
- Fish stock is 20 minutes at most — unlike beef stock, which runs for hours.
- Remove the gills: they are the single biggest source of bitterness.
- Fish in the last 5 minutes only, and in large cubes so it holds together.
- Steep the saffron in two tablespoons of hot water for 10 minutes before using it.
People also ask
Why does my fish soup taste bitter?
Either you left the gills in, or you simmered the stock for more than 25 minutes. Fish bones give up their flavour in 20 minutes and then start releasing bitter compounds — the opposite of beef bones.
Can I make it without heads and bones?
You can, with vegetable stock or water, but the flavour will be far thinner. Heads and bones carry collagen and gelatine that give the soup its body and depth — and they are normally thrown away, so you get them for nothing.
Which fish works best?
Firm white fish: tilapia, sea bream, sea bass, grouper. Avoid oily fish (sardines, mackerel) — the flavour is too strong and it swamps everything else in the bowl.
Cook mode
Fish Soup with Vegetables and Saffron
-
1
Clean the bones
Rinse the heads and bones well and remove the gills completely. Gills are intensely bitter and they are the number one cause of bitter fish stock.
-
2
A short stock
Simmer the bones with one onion and the bay leaves in 6 cups of water for 20 minutes only. Past 25 minutes the bones start releasing bitter compounds — the exact opposite of beef stock.
-
3
Strain
Strain the stock through a fine sieve or a cloth and discard the bones. Skim off any foam on the surface — that foam is coagulated protein and it clouds the soup.
-
4
Build the vegetable base
Fry the second onion, the celery and the carrot in the olive oil for 8 minutes, then add the garlic and grated tomato and cook 5 minutes more.
-
5
Simmer
Pour in the strained stock, add the potatoes and the soaked saffron, and simmer gently for 15 minutes until the potato is tender.
-
6
Fish goes in last
Cut the fillet into large cubes and add them, then cook for 5 minutes only, until the flesh turns opaque. Any longer and it disintegrates into the soup.
-
7
Lemon and parsley
Take it off the heat and stir in the lemon juice and chopped parsley. The acidity lifts the sea flavour and balances it.
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