Tag: Fish Soup

Fish Soup – Gdańsk inspired

  • I read that fish was very popular in the Gdańsk region.
  • Fish soup was one of the most expensive starters on several menus.
  • I tried it in the Motlava (yes that is the spelling!) restaurant in Gdańsk.
  • It was a clear soup with carrots and celery – not a lot different from my fish soup with celery.
  • Personally – I thought it was a bit too salty.
  • This one is based on the soup in the restaurant.
  • The menus said it used a fish stock – I have used a vegetable stock.
  • You have to chop the vegetables into very small pieces.
  • The soup in the restaurant did not have many pieces of fish – I have increased the amount.

Ingredients

  • 2-3 carrots
  • 2 celery stalks
  • 1 onion
  • 250g of fish – Cod/Haddock/Salmon
  • 1 ½ litres of vegetable Stock/ or fish stock
  • 6 allspice grains
  • 6 black peppercorns
  • Salt and pepper to taste.

Method

  • Peel the carrots and chop them into very small pieces.
  • Cut the celery stalks into very small pieces.
  • Chop the onion into small pieces.
  • Add the allspice and peppercorns to the stock.
  • Add the onion to the stock, bring to the boil and then simmer for around 5 minutes.
  • Add the carrots and celery, bring back to the boil.
  • Simmer for around 5 minutes.
  • Chop the fish into small chunks and add to the soup.
  • Bring back to the boil then simmer for around 5 minutes.
  • Season to taste and serve.

Gdańsk soup on the left – mine in a Royal Doulton Carnation soup plate on the right.

Fish Soup with Leek & Potato

INGREDIENTS

  • 300 – 350g of white fish (cod, haddock or pollock)
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 leeks – the white part
  • 3 medium potatoes (floury type are best)
  • 2 tablespoons of butter  – to fry the onions
  • 1½ litres of vegetable stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 4 grains of allspice
  • 4 grains of black pepper
  • 125ml soured cream
  • Salt & Pepper to taste – if needed.
  • *
  • Large handful of chopped flat leaved parsley to serve.

Method

  • Chop the onion into small pieces.
  • Lightly fry in the butter but do not brown.
  • Chop the leek into small rings and add to the onions and butter.
  • Stir and lightly fry – again do not brown.
  • Add the stock, bay leaves, allspice and black pepper.
  • Bring to the boil and then lower the heat.
  • Start to simmer gently.
  • Chop the potatoes into small pieces and add to the soup.
  • Boil gently for around 15 minutes until the potatoes are nearly cooked.
  • Add the fish and cook for about 10 minutes.
  • Break up the fish into small pieces.
  • Season if needed.
  • Stir in the soured cream.
  • Add chopped parsley leaves to serve.

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Royal Doulton Burgundy soup plate

One of my testers thought this was the best ever!

Fish Soup with Cavolo Nero

  • Cavolo nero (Italian) translates as black cabbage and in Polish it is kapusta czarna.
  • In England it is often know as Tuscan Kale.
  • I know that Poles love cabbage but – 
  • This is the first time I have used cavolo nero.

INGREDIENTS

  • 300 – 350g white fish (cod, haddock, pollock)
  • 1 large onion – chopped
  • Butter or oil to fry the onion
  • 100 – 150g cavolo nero
  • 4 tablespoons of tomato puree
  • 3 medium potatoes – starchy are best –  chopped into small chunks.
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 5 grains of allspice
  • 5 peppercorn grains
  • 1½ – 2  litres of vegetable stock
  • 125ml of soured cream – or more
  • *
  • Salt & pepper to season if needed
  • Chopped flat leaf parsley to serve

METHOD

  • Fry the onion gently in butter – do not brown.
  • Strip the leaves from the stalks of the cavolo nero.
  • Cut into fine strips.
  • Add the cavolo nero and potatoes to the onions and stir.
  • Add the stock and tomato puree.
  • Add the allspice and peppercorns.
  • Bring to the boil.
  • Then heat gently for around 10 minutes until the potatoes are beginning to soften.
  • Add the fish and cook for another 10 minutes.
  • Season if needed.
  • Stir in the soured cream and serve.

  • Royal Doulton Burgundy soup plate

OPTIONS

Fish Soup with Tomatoes

  • Here is another recipe adapted from some of my Polish soup books.
  • It is a very filling chunky soup – nearly a meal in itself.

INGREDIENTS

  • 350g of white fish (cod, haddock or pollock)
  • 1 large onion – chopped
  •  2 -3 tablespoon sunflower oil to fry the onions
  • ¼ of a large celeriac or 4 stalks of celery – chopped into small pieces.
  • 1 leek – the white part – chopped into rings
  • 1 carrot – coarse grated.
  • 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
  • 1 ½ to 2 litres of vegetable stock
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 peppercorns
  • Salt & Pepper, if needed, to taste
  • *
  • 75 g macaroni or other small pasta – cooked.
  • Large handful of chopped flat leaved parsley to serve.

METHOD

  • Gently fry the onions in the sunflower oil without browning.
  • Add the celery, leek and carrot, mix and fry a little longer.
  • Add the vegetable stock, bay leaf and peppercorns.
  • Bring to the boil and then simmer gently until the vegetables are soft.
  • Add the can of tomatoes and simmer a little longer.
  • Add the pieces of fish and simmer for around 10 minutes.
  • Break up the cooked fish into smaller pieces.
  • Add the cooked macaroni and heat for another minute or two.
  • *
  • Season if necessary (might not be needed)
  • Serve with chopped parsley of top.

Royal Doulton Carnation soup plate.

Fish Soup with Celery

  • I have been looking at some of my Polish soup books and have seen several recipes for fish soups.
  • I decided to try some of them out and this is one of them.
  • I have posted several fish soup recipes before, one with peppers – one with salmon  and one similar white  fish soup recipe.
  •  

INGREDIENTS

  • 350 g of white fish (cod, haddock or pollock)
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 large onion
  • 2 leeks – the white part
  • 2 tablespoons of butter  to fry the onions
  • 3 stalks of celery
  • 3 carrots
  • 1½ litres of vegetable stock
  • 2 bay leaf
  • 3 grains of allspice
  • 3 grains of black pepper
  • Salt & Pepper to taste – if needed.
  • *
  • 125ml of soured cream
  • Large handful of chopped flat leaved parsley to serve.

METHOD

  • Cut the fish into large chunks.
  • Wrap the fish with the lemon juice in a foil parcel and keep chilled for 30 minutes.
  • Chop the onion into small pieces.
  • Slice up the leek into rings.
  • Slice the celery into small pieces.
  • Chop the carrots into small cubes.
  • Gently fry the vegetables in oil without browning them.
  • Add the stock, bay leaves, allspice and peppercorns.
  • Bring to the boil and them simmer gently until the vegetables are soft.
  • Add the fish and simmer for around 10 minutes.
  • Separate the fish chunks into smaller pieces. 
  • *
  • Add the soured cream and stir.
  • Season to taste,
  • Serve with the parsley sprinkled on top. 

Royal Doulton Carnation soup plate

Fish Soup

  • I thought that this soup would be excellent for Good Friday.
  • The base is a simple vegetable soup with mainly “green” vegetables and a few carrots.
  • You can vary the vegetables that you use.
  • Any white fish will be good and  you just need small pieces.
  • Where my late father used to live the small river formed part of the border between the then Poland and Russia.
  • He would often catch river fish, which he really liked.
  • I am sure he would have enjoyed this soup. 

Ingredients

  • 150g white fish  (Basa, Cod or Haddock)
  • 1 onion 
  • 2 leeks
  • 2 sticks of celery
  • ½ tin of sweetcorn
  • 1 large carrot
  • 3 tablespoons of butter
  • 1½ litres of vegetable stock
  • 2 tablespoons of soured cream
  • Salt & Pepper to taste

Method

  • Chop up the onion and leeks.
  • Fry them gently in the butter.
  • Chop the celery into thin slices.
  • Chop the carrots into small pieces.
  • Mix all the vegetables together and add the stock.
  • Bring to the boil and then simmer till nearly soft.
  • Cut the fish into small pieces and add them to the soup.
  • Simmer till the fish is cooked.
  • Stir in the soured cream.
  • Season to taste.

 

Royal Doulton Burgundy Soup Plate

Optional – If you use more fish you can serve this more as a main dish .