Saffron fish soup
50 min · 47 g protein · 430 cals / serving
The Swedish fish soup: a golden saffron and tomato broth with fennel, leek and a splash of white wine, big chunks of cod poached in it at the last minute and a handful of prawns. Served the way Swedes love it, with a garlicky kvarg aioli to stir in and plenty of dill.
Ingredients
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 small leek, thinly sliced
- 1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced, fronds saved
- 2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small packet (0.5 g) saffron
- scant 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes, canned, with liquid
- 4 1/4 cups fish stock
- 3 medium potatoes, peeled, in 1 cm dice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 lb 2 oz raw cod, in large chunks
- 7 oz boiled prawns, peeled
- 1/3 cup half fat creme fraiche
- 1/2 bunch fresh dill, chopped
Kvarg aioli
- 2/3 cup quark
- 2 tbsp light mayonnaise, 30% fat
- 1 large clove garlic, finely grated
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 pinch salt
Steps
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, leek, fennel and carrot and cook, stirring, for 6–8 minutes until soft and glossy but not browned; add the garlic for the last minute.
- Crumble the saffron into the pot with the tomato paste and stir for 30 seconds. Pour in the wine and let it bubble for a minute, then add the crushed tomatoes, fish stock, potatoes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer, partly covered, for 12–15 minutes until the potatoes are just tender.
- Turn the heat down so the soup barely trembles. Slide in the cod and poach it, without stirring, for 4–5 minutes until it flakes and reaches 145°F. Stir in the crème fraiche gently, add the prawns just to warm them through, and finish with the dill and the chopped fennel fronds. Taste for salt.
- Stir the kvarg, mayonnaise, grated garlic, lemon juice and salt into a smooth aioli. Ladle the soup into deep bowls and put a big spoonful of aioli on each.
Good to know
Can I use frozen fish?
Yes. Thaw frozen cod or saithe (sej) loins in the fridge, pat them dry and cut them into chunks; they hold together best if the soup only just simmers.
Do I need the wine?
It adds a bright edge, but you can leave it out and add a teaspoon of lemon juice at the end instead; it's about the same score.
Can I make it ahead?
Make the broth with the vegetables and potatoes a day ahead and keep it in the fridge. Bring it back to a simmer and poach the fish just before serving, so it stays in chunks.
Per
- Calories
- 53
- Protein
- (45%)
- 6 g
- Fat
- (24%)
- 1 g
- Carbohydrates
- (32%)
- 5 g
- of which sugar
- 2 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 182 mg
About 40% of the alcohol remains after cooking; the label counts only that.
More meals
Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. General guidance, not medical advice. Talk to your prescriber. How
As written, 1720 kcal goes into the pot and 3483 g of ingredients comes out as about 3250 g of food: 53 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.