This richly flavored, but simple, fisherman's soup recipe is filled with tilapia (or other white fish), shrimp and a spicy tomato broth. Considering the depth of flavor, it is surprisingly healthy and low-fat. 238 calories and 1 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP
This fisherman's soup recipe brings back some very good memories. When I was about 11 years old, my dad and I loaded up the car, Canadian singer Anne Murray's silky voice cued up in the cassette player (I'm really dating myself here, aren't I?), and headed off to the interior of British Columbia to catch some fish.
We spent most days put-putting along in a rented speed boat, cruising the lakes as we set our hooks with live bait or shiny spinners (I always called dibs on the pink one). As hard as my dad tried to teach me the nuances of fishing, I insisted on sticking to my rather unorthodox method of attracting the iridescent lake trout.
Pretty darn proud of my catch.
The funny thing was that it worked. On every loop around the lake, I caught one or two fish while my dad's hook remained virtually untouched.
You want to know the secret, don't you? This is it. Step one: Stand at the stern of the boat, hands cupped around your mouth. Step two: As loudly as you can, using your best 11-year old girl voice, yell, "Here fishy, fishy, fishy" over and over again. Step three: Hold onto your fishing rod...tightly. You call and they will come.
I'm sure the other fisherman absolutely loved us. "Gosh darn city folks!"
At the end of the day, we had some good-looking trout on our hands and limited pantry supplies. The order of the day was simply prepared fish, allowing the freshness to shine through. This fisherman's soup recipe reminds me of those meals. The simplicity of the ingredient list complements the flavor of the tilapia and shrimp beautifully.
The fisherman's soup recipe:
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan set over medium heat.
Add the onion, garlic, red bell pepper and carrot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions and peppers are tender, 7 to 8 minutes.
Add the oregano and chile flakes, and cook for 1 minute. Add the parsley and white wine, and cook for 1 additional minute. Add the tomatoes and vegetable broth, and bring to a simmer.
Add the tilapia pieces and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fish is almost cooked through, about 4 minutes.
Add the shrimp and continue to simmer until the shrimp is barely cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in capers and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve.
Other tilapia, or other white fish, recipes:
Baked Tilapia with Arugula Walnut Pesto & Toasted Breadcrumbs
Fish Tacos with Creamy Green Chile & Cilantro Sauce
Fisherman’s Soup Recipe with Tilapia, Shrimp, Tomatoes & Capers
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 red bell pepper seeded & diced
- 1 large carrot diced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ⅛ - ¼ teaspoon dried crushed chile flakes
- ½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 28 ounce can petite diced tomatoes (juices included)
- ¾ cup vegetable broth
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ¼ pounds firm white fish such as tilapia, cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ pound medium shrimp shelled
- 2 tablespoon capers
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan set over medium heat.Add the onion, garlic, red bell pepper and carrot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions and peppers are tender, 7 to 8 minutes.
- Add the oregano and chile flakes, and cook for 1 minute. Add the parsley and white wine, and cook for 1 additional minute.
- Add the tomatoes and vegetable broth, and bring to a simmer.
- Add the tilapia pieces and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fish is almost cooked through, about 4 minutes.
- Add the shrimp and continue to simmer until the shrimp is barely cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in capers and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Janie
Thank you for sharing such a great and simple recipe. I have made this a few times because the weather does get chilly, even in South Texas 🙂 I love how light the broth is. It makes for the perfect healthy meal without being heavy or over indulgent. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Jennifer
I love love love this recipe. It's so healthy and full of flavor. I made this for my mother in law and she loved it as well. I've made this several times and it always comes out great. The capers are so great in this recipe. Since I dont drink, I just use more chicken broth. I've also made this with vegetable stock and it tastes great with that as well. Amazing recipe!!
Annette
I found this recipe through Pinterest. I made it tonight for dinner. My husband LOVE IT. And I quote: "This is a home run". It was very delicious. I did not include the capers (my husband does not like them). It is so filling. I served it with Mexican cornbread. This recipe is a WINNER 🙂
Thank you for sharing.
Jamie
I tried this soup tonight and it was a success on the first try! My family loves it! I added an extra cup of water and 1/2 cup of vegetable broth for extra broth to eat with rice. Seasoned with double the amount of oregano and capers. MMMmmm...even my 4-year-old can't get enough of it! Thank you so much for this delicious recipe. It will definitely be served at least once a month. 🙂
Jennifer
So yummy! This is my second time making it in a month. Quick easy and delicious. Thanks so much for the recipe.
janie
P.S.
Mine looked just like your picture, right down to the red-orange ceramic pot 🙂
janie
I made this for dinner tonight to get us through an unusually cool cold spell in deep South Texas! It was light and tasty, the fish was firm and satisfying. I loved the taste that the capers imparted on the dish. Next time I may add a tad more pepper flakes for some extra kick. We had it with some crusty bread, slightly buttered. Over all, a delicious, healthy, and satisfying meal. It's a keeper, and I plan to make it again! Thank you so much for sharing such a wonderful recipe!
Knockout Kitchen
I've made a similar soup in the past but didn't use capers. Capers seem like a nice touch.
Valentina
Dara, this is my favorite sort of meal. LOVE it!
Wizzy
Such a great photo of your catch:-) Capers in soup are a new idea for me ...sounds goood tho.
Jennifer
Found this recipe on pinterest and I just made it today. It was great! I don't drink so I just subbed the white wine with chicken stock. I squirted some lemon juice over the soup, which was a nice but not necessary addition. Thanks again for such a great recipe!
Anika
This soup is delicious! I'm so glad I found the recipe on pinterest -- and your blog with it. Both are great.
David Jenkins
Tried this last night with a few modifications. We added celery and diced potatoes to make it more of a stew and also used the shrimp shells in a cheesecloth bag to add more flavor. On a cool, wet night it was just perfect!
Deborah
haha - I love your fishing technique!! And this soup sounds wonderful!
marian
looks great! i like to make soup at the start of the week and piece it out day by day since im just cooking for myself---that in mind, how long will this stay fresh? And how does it hold up to reheating (microwave) and freezing?
The Squishy Monster
There's a Korean stew similar to this and I bet me and Pops would just LOVE this! It's right up our alley =)
MikeVFMK
love fishermans soup and your version looks incredible. Love that pic of you a young girl, reminds me of my summers fishing with my uncles.
KimNB
This is definitely going in my soup repertoire. I love soups. A hint of smoked paprika would go nicely in this.
Lauren @ Part Time House Wife
Fishing memories are my most favorite of my growing up days. I wish so much I could go back and re-live so many of them!
This soup sounds like something my husband would slurp up in a second.
Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet
It's cold today and I could totally go for a big pot of this delicious soup! Love the picture of you!