Hearty and Spicy Fish in Coconut Milk Soup
A Different Way to Eat Fish
We eat a LOT of fish here in Hawaii and fortunately we are able to get it fresh more often than not. However, I do keep some frozen fish fillets in the freezer for a change of pace.
In the winter months here though we don't have the cold weather, it's nice to add some warm and hearty soups to our menu. Looking online for some inspiration I found a recipe for a quick and easy fish soup which appealed to me, so I tweaked the base recipe and added my own adjustments.
This fish soup is nice and spicy, but not overwhelmingly hot spicy. Not at all. (If you like HOT, I suggest you add some hot sauce). The coconut milk adds a creamy lightly sweetened contrast. I purposely added kale (read more about this awesome vegetable at the link further down the page) to make the taste of this dish even more distinctive. I hope you give this spicy fish soup a try to add your own tweaks to really make it yours.
All photos on this page were taken by Pam Irie.
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp Lime juice
- 1 Tbsp Ground cumin
- 1 Tbsp Paprika
- 2 tsp Minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Black pepper
- 2 Fish fillets (tilapia, cod, haddock, etc.), cut into chunks
- 2 Tbsp Olive oil
- 1 Onion, chopped large
- 1 Bell pepper, diced
- 1 16 oz can Diced tomatoes
- 1 16 oz can Coconut milk
- 1 Small bunch Kale, stems removed and chopped (optional)
- 5 - 6 Fresh mushrooms, sliced (optional)
Instructions
- Add first 6 ingredients to a bowl and stir well with whisk. Toss in the cut up fish and stir gently until all the pieces are well coated with the marinade mix. Cover this bowl and refrigerate at least 20 minutes. (You can mix this the night before if you prefer; this marinade is good for up to 24 hours.)
- Heat the 2 Tbsp of olive oil in the pot you'll be cooking in. (I used a 4 qt stainless steel stockpot). Fry the large diced onions on med-high heat for approximately 2 minutes. Turn heat down to medium.
- Add the following ingredients to the pot ONE AT A TIME, and in the following order: bell pepper, mushroom, fish chunks, diced tomatoes.
- Pour coconut milk over the mixture in the pot.
- Bring pot to a quick soft boil.
- Cover pot and lower heat again to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Note: Add kale to the covered pot and simmer 5 minutes to 10 minutes more until fish is cooked through. Serve and enjoy with a thick slice of freshly baked crusty bread!
Let's Get Cooking!
This Soup is Easy, Quick and YUMMY!
Click thumbnail to view full-size
Yes, Kale is truly a Wonder Food!
What's Your Preference? - Optional Ingredients for Your Fish Soup
