Seafood Soup with Fennel and Saffron
One of my favourite soups is Seafood Soup with with Fennel and Saffron. The aroma of the onion, fennel, garlic and saffron fills the house and brings me back to the last time I tasted a bowlful—honestly, it's that powerful.
3 Tbsp (45 mL) extra virgin olive oil
1 cup (250 mL) finely sliced fennel
1 cup (250 mL) finely sliced onion
3 cloves garlic, crushed and sliced
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme
4 cups (1 L) low-sodium chicken stock
1 cup (250 mL) diced tomatoes, canned
1 cup (250 mL)
white wine
Pinch saffron
2 cups (500 mL) cubed, peeled potatoes
200 g (about 2 small fillets) firm white fish, cut into cubes
20 small shrimp, peeled and de-veined
4 medium scallops
16 mussels, scrubbed
Salt and pepper to taste
4 sprigs parsley, chopped
While this recipe may look complicated to make, it’s not. Fennel is readily available in grocery stores, but is sometimes stocked under the name anise. You will find saffron in health food stores and some grocers. This soup is traditionally made with fish stock, but chicken stock is a fine substitute and adds great flavour. And try a variety of fish and seafood in this recipe; check at your local fish counter to see what is available, or use frozen.
In a heavy soup pot over low heat, add olive oil, fennel, onion, garlic, bay leaf and thyme, and sauté until fennel is soft, about 10 minutes. Add chicken stock, tomatoes, white wine, saffron and potatoes. Simmer until potatoes soften, approximately 10 minutes. Add fish, shrimp, scallops and mussels, then cover pot and cook until mussels open. Season to taste. Discard bay leaf and thyme. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, and serve hot.
Serves four. Per serving: 453 calories, 31 g protein, 16 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 35 g carbohydrates, 4 g fibre, 96 mg cholesterol, 632 mg sodium
