Fish soup: staying healthy this fall

What are you cooking this fall? The leaves are brown, the days are short, which means it’s time for soups and stews (in my case, anyway). And when it comes to soups, there’s nothing better than a trip down memory lane to make and to taste a classic family favorite: fish soup. Enter Sitka Salmon Shares 🙂

I have an ongoing love of food, concern with values, and awareness of community – and isn’t it wonderful when you discover companies that cherish the same things that you do? From this perspective, 2020 has brought me many positives: I got the chance to get in touch with amazingly talented companies, who share my passion for food, values, and community, and from whom I learned a lot in the process. As this extraordinary year draws to a close, I have reflected on my journey of discovery – and I am happy to report that I consider my partnership with Sitka Salmon Shares one of this year’s most important accomplishments.

I wrote about Sitka Salmon Shares (SSS) several times in 2020 (you can check out my posts here, here and here). With SSS hosting their annual recipe contest recently, I thought I should take a moment to write another post. I wanted to enter their contest with this fish soup, but life got in the way. Oh well, at least now I have time to post it here, so all is not lost, right? 🙂

This fish soup has a long history in my family. When I was little, my mom used to make it with fish heads because she didn’t want any part of the fish to go to waste. These days, we’re lucky to be able to make it with Sitka’s Wild Alaskan Sablefish…

… and plenty of veggies for reimagined flavor possibilities. 

I also use mom’s (not-so) secret ingredient – sauerkraut juice – which I have learned to appreciate throughout the years for its fantastic nutritional properties. You can use the juice from your homemade sauerkraut or buy the juice from specialty stores such as Amish Farmers.

Sitka’s Wild Alaskan Sablefish is a work of wonder and beauty. It is bled individually, delivered to port in 3 days max (much less than the industry standard of 5 days), and blast-frozen in small batches, at -33°F or colder. As a result, the fish keeps its fresh taste and texture, and lasts for many months in the freezer with little decline in quality. 

I have only made this soup with sablefish, but I’m sure other white fish will work just as well. 

If I were to single out one element from this symphony of vibrant flavors and exciting textures, that would be parsley root. This humble veggie – which is rather unknown around here – is chock-full of nutrients, and its mildly sweet and fragrant taste provides the perfect foundation for you to add the other ingredients, and to build the soup. I think parsley root is very underrated, and I look forward to posting more recipes with it in the future.

I usually add the fish to the pot towards the end of the cooking process to avoid overcooking. 

This is when I also add fresh yellow corn and parsley (the latter fresh from the garden). 

A few minutes later, the soup is ready! Hot, fragrant, healthy and satisfying.

I like to decorate this soup with chopped celery leaves for extra flavor and visual appeal. The color contrast is so endearing and vivacious, or so I think!

I actually like the “overcrowded” feature of this soup. The more veggies, the better in terms of flavors and nutritional benefits, especially during fall and winter. 

With its perfect balance between sweet and sour and soft and crunchy, this fish soup is perfect for gourmets and health-conscious alike. The addition of celery and corn towards the end of the cooking process provides the perfect bites and aromatic appeal, while the meaty sablefish helps the veggies to shine through while consolidating its status as the star of the dish.

If you’d like to try Sitka’s sablefish, now is the perfect time to take a step in this direction, and to help dedicated fishermen/women in the process. Sitka Salmon Shares is currently launching its 2021 season with early enrollment. Early enrollment is a crucial time for determining fishermen security for the anticipated 2021 fishing season and helping SSS plan the harvest. Join SSS now and get $25 off SSS Premium Sitka Seafood Share  – just use code CLP at checkout! This code expires December 31st, 2020.

Stay safe. Stay healthy. Eat well. We all have heard the doctors’ advice to protect ourselves and our families during this extraordinary year. I have taken steps in the right direction, but there are still things (eg. lack of sleep) I need to address with regards to my wellbeing. Luckily, when it comes to healthy eating, I have an ally in Sitka Salmon Shares. I have thoroughly enjoyed our partnership, and I can think of no other company that is more dedicated to promoting the health of the ocean and the health of fellow human beings. In a world that’s restless, chaotic and unpredictable, Sitka’s values shine brightly and provide direction to see the light at the end of the dark tunnel we’ve all been in this year. What an amazing source of hope, comfort, and connection!

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