The late days of summer are perfect for outdoor dining and the sweet taste of the season’s seafood. For this week’s Heinen’s 4PM Panic we took advantage of both in this simple Fisherman’s soup.
You can use any firm white fish. Halibut works great but in this pot I used cod. That’s the beauty of fish soup, you can change it up any way you like. If you are a rule follower who craves exact instruction, you can simply follow the recipe. If you like to go off road and try new things then you can try adding scallops,clams, potatoes, root vegetables, and play with spices. I like the combination of coconut milk and turmeric. Let me know what combination works best for your family.
Fisherman’s Soup
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 leeks (white and light green parts), cut into 1/4-inch-thick half-moons
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 small fennel bulb, quartered and sliced
- 1/3 cup dry sherry
- 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- 1 pound skinless halibut fillet or some other firm white fish, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 pound mussels, scrubbed
- 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup mixed olives
Directions:
- Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Add the leeks, garlic, and fennel and cook, stirring occasionally, until just softened, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the sherry, tomatoes and their juices, red pepper flakes, and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add the fish and mussels and simmer gently until the fish is cooked through and the mussels have opened, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Stir in the half and half and parsley. Cook 5 minutes longer on low heat.
- Serve with the olives.
Leeks are very sandy so when you slice them be sure to rinse them very well.
A little squeeze of lime adds a fresh element.
This dish needed something cold and refreshing to accompany it. The associates at Heinen’s recently introduced me to Tsamma watermelon juice. I was working in the sun all day and it was the perfect refresher. So logically I figured it would also make a wonderful pairing for a cocktail. Of course!! You can find it in the produce section of Heinen’s Grocery (where I hang out these days).
Just as with the Fish Soup this drink can be customized to your liking.
In a shaker add ice, 6 oz watermelon juice, 1 shot berry vodka, 2 sliced strawberries and 2 shots of Moscato wine. Shake and pour over ice. Garnish with a wedge of lime. It was the perfect cool compliment to the slightly spicy fish soup. Enjoy!
By the way, have you heard about Heinen’s Tasteful Rewards™ program? Sign up for free to receive exclusive weekly specials via email and earn Heinen’s rewards. As a Tasteful Rewards™ membership benefit, Heinen’s will donate up to 1% of your qualified purchases made between September and April to a local school of your choice through their Teaming Up for Education Program. CLICK HERE to sign up for Heinen’s Tasteful Rewards™ and, trust me, this is one email that will always please your palate!
Photographer Sally Roeckell specializes in contemporary lifestyle portraiture with an emphasis on food photography. She regularly shops at Heinen’s for the family dishes she features via Table and Dish on Instagram and on her website at TableAndDish.com.
Heinen’s Grocery is located at 500 N. Hough Street, between E. Main Street and Route 14 (next to Meathead’s) in Barrington, Illinois. They’re open 7 days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. For more information, visit Heinens.com.
