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Sopi di pisca
Fish soup with root vegetables
Sopi di pisca: Curaçao fish soup with root vegetables
Sopi di pisca is what fishermen's families in Curaçao and Aruba cook when the boats come in at Caracasbaai or Savaneta: a golden broth of fish, yuca, sweet potato, pumpkin, onion and sweet peppers, scented with celery leaves, thyme and a hot madame jeanette pepper, finished with lime. It is light but filling and often eaten with a funchi or a slice of bread. The most common mistake is putting the fish in with the vegetables; it breaks to threads, so it goes in only at the end. Use firm white fish such as grouper, snapper or wahoo. Chef's tip: simmer the fish trimmings in the water for 15 minutes first if you have them; the broth becomes far richer.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onionchopped
- 3 cloves garliccrushed
- 1 red or green pepperdiced
- 2 sticks celerywith leaves, chopped
- 2 tomatoeschopped
- 1.5 litres fish stock or water
- 10 ½ oz cassava (yuca)peeled, cored, in chunks
- 10 ½ oz sweet potatopeeled, in chunks
- 10 ½ oz pumpkinpeeled, in chunks
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 1 scotch bonnet pepperwhole
- 1 ¾ lb firm white fish filletsin 4 cm chunks
- 1 limejuiced
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp parsley (optional)chopped
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large pot and soften 1 onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1 red or green pepper and 2 sticks celery over a medium heat for 6 minutes. Add 2 tomatoes and cook 3 minutes.
9 minStep 2: Add 1.5 litres fish stock or water, 10 ½ oz cassava (yuca), 3 sprigs thyme and 1 scotch bonnet pepper, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
10 minStep 3: Add 10 ½ oz sweet potato and 10 ½ oz pumpkin and simmer 12–15 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender when pierced.
14 minStep 4: Season 1 ¾ lb firm white fish fillets with 1 lime and half of ¾ tsp salt, slip it into the soup and simmer very gently for 6–8 minutes, until opaque and flaking. Season with the rest of ¾ tsp salt, remove the pepper, and serve with 2 tbsp parsley.
8 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 28 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sopi di pisca take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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