Poor fish soup

How to make a fish soup in a poor way . This fish soup recipe teaches us that you don’t always have to buy ingredients to get a tasty and filling dish.

And it is that its base is the fish heads that may have been left over from a previous meal and a piece of hard bread that will add body and calories. Turning a soup into a very nutritious dish and ideal for those cold winter days.

It is a great option just like the traditional picadillo soup , the delicious  garlic soup or the onion soup , very cheap and flavorful recipes. A way to save a ton of money when celebrating special dates like Christmas, where it’s perfect as a starter. And what about the January cost, which is difficult for all of us. We have the flavor, the platform too, we only have to plaster in an original way, giving prominence to the soup “a lo probe” .

The ideal white fish to prepare this recipe are hake, turbot, cod, conger eel and monkfish. If we do not have at home nothing happens, surely our fishmonger will be happy to prepare a head for us by cutting it into generous pieces. By cooking them in time we will get them to release all their flavor ensuring a very tasty spoon dish.

In addition to its low cost, this recipe does not need any previous preparation, for much of the time we need to make it we can limit ourselves to stirring from time to time while we take the opportunity to prepare the second course.

As an estimate we have used 1 kg of fish for a soup for 4 diners. The rest of the ingredients, such as the leek (which you can substitute for onion if you prefer, although it adds a softer touch). These ingredients end up creating a delicious dish based on the unmistakable flavor of the fish. A soup from before!

Preparation of the base of the mariñeira soup to the poor

1. In a large saucepan we cook the fish covered with water and accompanied by the onion cut in half and the peeled carrot and cut into three or four pieces. We also sprinkle the fresh parsley once chopped.
2. We leave half an hour over medium heat (5 or 6 out of 10) and we remove the foam as necessary. Meanwhile, we cut the bread into slices and lightly toast it in the oven or toaster.
3. After half an hour, strain the broth and return it to the casserole, now together with the bread slices.
4. We cook for a few minutes (about 15, until the bread melts).
5. We remove the bones and the skin and we are left with only the meat of the fish. We add it to the pan of the bread when it has been crumbled.
6. We cut the leek into small or medium pieces and chop the garlic clove very fine. We poach them in a frying pan with a good jet of extra virgin olive oil.
7. When the leek is golden we add a couple of tablespoons of tomato sauce (preferably homemade) and the cayenne chilli. Sprinkle a teaspoon (dessert type) of sweet paprika and pour a glass of white wine.

Cooking the mariñeira soup in a poor way. Final presentation

1. We raise the heat (to 7 out of 10) and let it boil for a couple of minutes to evaporate the alcohol.
2. Pour the contents of the pan into the saucepan with the broth and fish. We toast a pinch of saffron in oil and also add it to the casserole. If the budget is very tight, we can change this ingredient for food coloring. Or also remove it from the ingredient list.
3. We remove well and we rectify of salt.
4. We let it cook together for half an hour more over medium heat (5 out of 10). And then we leave the fire to rest for 10 minutes. You can add a handful of rice or noodles if you want it to have more consistency. Always optional and to your liking.
5. To serve we can use a ladle and after depositing a good amount of bread and fish in the bowl, we add liquid to our liking.

As with almost all soups, this one is even richer after resting for a day. At that time we heat it slowly, stirring carefully to mix all the ingredients again and we have it ready to enjoy.

Always much better if it arrives at the table accompanied by a good bread than dipping it.

Here you have a step by step in photos where I show you how to prepare this fish soup recipe .  Do not miss any detail so that it comes out perfect.