zuppa di pesce recipe

This hearty Italian fish soup was a staple at one of the top restaurants I worked at in Toronto. Serve with a nice crusty bread, such as ciabatta, for dipping.

Ingredients

Serves 6-8

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 white onion, chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced 
  • 1/2 bulb fennel, cored and thinly sliced 
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 6 cups fish stock
  • 1 can diced tomato 
  • 1 cup raw shrimp, peeled, deveined 
  • 1 cup walleye, pike, perch, or any combo, boneless, skinless, cut into small cubes
  • 1 cup trout or splake, boneless, skinless, cut into small pieces 
  • 1 cup squid tubes, sliced into 1/4-inch rings 
  • 1 tsp cayenne
  • 1/2 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped 
  • Salt and pepper, to taste 

Directions

  1. Heat oil in a large pot on medium high heat and sauté onion, celery, and carrots for 5 minutes until softened.
  2. Add garlic and fennel and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
  3. Add white wine and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in fish stock and reduce heat to medium.
  4. Add diced tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes.
  5. Combine the shrimp, walleye or other white-flesh fish, and trout or other orange-fleshed fish. Next add the squid rings and cayenne pepper and mix well.
  6. Simmer soup for 20 minutes stirring often.
  7. Add parsley and season with salt and pepper.
  8. Serve with a drizzle of high-quality olive oil if you like.

Andrew Rochon is OOD’s food editor. You can follow more of his culinary adventures on Instagram: @wilderness_chef

Originally published in Ontario OUT of DOORS’ 2023 Fishing Annual

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