Mahi Mahi Soup

So many times it happens that we prepare food with a base idea in mind and along the way we create some recipes which are a keep forever. This is one of those recipes which I invented while cooking. Broadly,I wanted to make a fish soup for long but was not very sure of the texture and kind of fish I wanted to use. Frankly speaking I do not have much of knowledge of  fish varieties available in here. I know one or two which taste great in Indian preparations but regarding rest I am really dumb.

Finally, last week I fished out a recipe while standing in cookbook section of Borders while gazing through the big collection they have. It kind of amazes me also and I don’t know if someone else has also noticed it too that the sale of cookbooks,recipe diaries etc form such a big industry in here.And people do spend a lot of money on these books as a keepsake.Back in India, I used to see my mom and aunts cutting food recipes from the magazines or at the most copying recipes in a diary or from cookery shows on T.V…hardly I saw someone buying a recipe book and even if they did..hardly using it.

Coming back ,I didn’t even buy that book from Borders but while P was searching for his stuff, I had some time so I read the recipe and liked it a lot. The very next day ,I got some really good quality fish from the grocery store coz I wanted to recreate the recipe before I forget it So this recipe with lots of improvisation, searches on internet and the soup was born and I know I am going to use this one for a lot of other soup preparations too.Makes for a good brunch as well as a hearty dinner, this can be served as a appetizer too.

A very simple recipe with day-to-day spices from the  pantry but everything comes together very nicely and gives the soup a great taste.The original recipes calls for a stock but I used normal water.You can use vegetable or chicken stock .Pair up the fish with veggies of your choice and don’t forget a squirt of lemon coz lime juice brightens up the taste, especially of seafood.I recommend adding ginger becasue it adds up a lot of fresh & spicy flavor.I think that mahi mahi is a really good choice for this soup because of the moist flesh and the mild taste.However, go ahead and experiment with spices and fish varieties!It is incredibly easy to make, given how tasty the results are. However, the recipe works well with white fish mainly.I might try shrimp too sometime.

What I needed: (Serves 2)

[Recipe adapated from here]

2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup of chopped onions
1 large garlic clove, chopped
1 tsp fresh grated ginger [recommended]
1/2 cup beans , cut into small stalks [optional]
1-2 green chillies, minced
2/3 cup fresh cilantro/parsley , finely chopped
1 /2 cup of fresh chopped tomato
1 cup water [or vegetable/chicken stock]
1 lb mahi mahi fish fillets cut into 1″ pieces [you can use halibut, cod, red snapper or sea bass)
1 tsp crushed black pepper [adjust to taste]
pinch each of dry oregano,rosemary & thyme
2 tsp lemon juice [or more]
Salt

How I did it :

In a large pot,Heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
Add chopped onion  and saute till translucent,about 4 min.
Next, add garlic , ginger, minced green chilli and cilantro and stir for 2 min.
Add tomato, and cook  for 2-3 minutes.
Add the green beans, water , black pepper, salt , oregano , thyme and let it come to a boil.
Once boiling, add the fish and simmer until fish is cooked properly,about  8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and add lemon juice.
Ladle into a bowl, and serve warm.

Notes:

For vegetarian options you can replace fish with tofu or paneer [Indian cottage cheese] I think this recipe will taste best with lots of veggies only too.
Avoid over cooking the fish, keep a check on it.

Enjoy!

Mahi-Mahi

Sending this to Debin’s Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays