When I’m with my mami, we spend so much time reminiscing about her past. I love learning about the way Spaniards lived traditionally. My great aunts are VERY traditional and when it comes to food and cooking, it’s no exception. My mami has a memory like no other and can recall most all of my grandmothers recipes. The way she cooked, the ingredients she used, the small refrigerator without a freezer that she filled with fresh ingredients after shopping at the markets day after day. My grandmother was an amazing cook and this simple soup of fish with potatoes is one that frequently made its way to the family table.
Of course, with any soup, the difference between a good soup versus an amazing and nourishing soup is in homemade stock. When I found whole, wild snappers at Costco I knew right away that I could use the meat for this soup and the head and spines for the stock. After explaining the circle of life with my boys, we were all pretty excited to take the fish home, scale and fillet them for our meal. As my nephew Xavier said to me while eating this soup, “Nana, Nemo taste good in my belly!”
Sopita de Pescao Con Papas
serves 8
Ingredients:
For the Stock:
- 4 tbls extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tomatoes or 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 green pepper
- 3 liters cold water
- Fish heads, tails and spines from the fish
For the Soup
- 3 lbs Whole Wild Red Snapper (Or any other white fish like cod, tilapia, etc..), cleaned, scaled and fillet
- 8 – 10 potatoes, thickly sliced
- 10 cups fish stock
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 4 tbls evoo
- 1 large tomato
- 1 large onion
- 4 cloves of garlic, pressed or minced
- 1 tbls thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- pinch of saffron threads
- sea salt and pepper to taste
Method:
For the Stock:
- Start with a sofrito. In a large dutch oven, heat 4 tbls evoo. Add the onion and saute until transparent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the peppers, tomato and garlic and saute for an additional 15 minutes and the flavors are well incorporated.
- Add the fish parts and water.
- Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 30 – 45 minutes.
For the Soup:
- Transfer the stock to a large bowl.
- In the same dutch oven, heat an additional 4 tbls evoo. Add the onion and saute until transparent.
- Add the tomato and garlic and saute an additional 15 minutes.
- Add the fish stock, white wine, thyme, bay leaves, saffron, salt and pepper.
- Bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat and add the potatoes and fish.
- Simmer. Once the fish has been cooked through, anywhere from 8 – 10 minutes, remove and set aside.
- Cover the dutch oven and continue to cook the potatoes until they are tender.
- Once the potatoes are done, ladle the soup and potatoes into individual bowls topping with the fish.
Buen Provecho!
That soup looks amazing!
This is such a fantastic soup. When it comes to traditional foods, I remember and miss my father's cooking.
Happy to see Mami back again. I don't know why but I don't think of soup when I have fish in the refrigerator. I'm going to have to change that.
YUM! Great looking soup!
We make a similar soup in Colombia is called sancocho de pescado!!!That looks delicious, Diana.
Great looking soup! Reminds me of the soups my grandmother makes in Mexico! I am going tohave to visit soon!
que rico!! well done, it reminds me of my mum's cooking, the flavours are intense and the colours amazing, besos!
madre mia! I ate this kind of soup so much growing up! great childhood memories!
This looks wonderful!
Those are some beautiful snapper you found at Costco! I love recipes with a story – particularly a family one – behind them.
A fantastic fish soup! It looks like it's very similar to the fish soup my mom used to make for us when we were kids with my dad's fresh catch of the day 🙂
This looks like a fantastic savory soup! Xavier's comment is so cute!
OMG! That looks so delicious. I can't believe how long it's been since I had a wonderful fish soup. I love the clear broth. This looks great.
I love this – such clean, whole, honest flavors. I think I definitely need a bowl. Or two.
"Nana, Nemo taste good in my belly!"…that is so cute! I'm sure that soup is delicious!
This looks really delicious. So simple and delicious! I like to combination of potatoes and fish in a soup. Perfect!
Very similar to a Caribbean fish broth, not surprising due to the Spanish influence in this region. My dad makes a soup like this that is out of this world!
wow yummy can't beat a good fish soup wish i could cook with you and your Grandma how cool
OH YUM! Xaviers comment is absolutely wonderful–an example of one of the many reasons that I love getting little ones involved in the "food experience."
Sounds wonderful!
Beautiful soup!
What a wonderful and comforting soup. Very nice!
Oh boy! Spanish Fish soup!!! Im in heaven!!
Wow! I am so excited to find this site. My grandma was from Sevilla and I spent my highschool years with her over 30 years ago. I have not been back since but my heart remains there. So many memories.
Thanks for stopping by Diana! What great memories you must have 😀