Sopa de Pescado (Dominican Fish Head Soup)
A traditional Dominican sopa de pescado made with red snapper and fish heads for a rich broth, plus auyama, potatoes, fideos, and a bright finish of bitter orange.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 230kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ pounds red snapper (794 g), heads separated (about 3 whole fish)
- 10 cups water (2.5 liters)
- 4 garlic cloves, lightly pressed (about 12 g)
- ½ pound kabocha squash (auyama) (227 g), cubed
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced (about 90 g)
- ½ pound Russet potatoes (227 g), peeled and cubed
- ½ medium cubanelle or bell pepper (about 60 g)
- ½ small onion (about 35 g)
- 1 celery stalk (about 40 g)
- 3 fresh culantro leaves (cilantro ancho)
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, including stems (about 3 g)
- 1 ½ vegetable bouillon tablets (about 15 g)
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano (about 0.5 g)
- 2 ounces angel hair pasta (fideos), (about 57 g)
- ¾ teaspoon salt (about 4.5 g), divided
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper (about 0.5 g)
- 2 tablespoons fresh bitter orange juice (30 ml)
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, boil the fish and fish heads in the water for about 20 minutes, or until the fish is tender. Turn off the heat. Remove the fish and set the broth aside.
- Carefully separate the fish bones from the meat. Reserve the broth. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon salt over the fish meat and set aside. Discard the fish bones and heads.
- Strain the fish broth into a clean pot to remove any small bones.
- Add the garlic, squash, carrot, potatoes, cubanelle pepper, onion, celery, culantro, cilantro, bouillon, oregano, fideos, remaining salt, and black pepper. Cook uncovered over medium-high heat for 20–25 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
- Transfer the garlic, cubanelle pepper, onion, celery, culantro, cilantro, and half of the squash to a blender and puree until smooth. Stir the puree back into the pot.
- Add the cooked fish and stir to combine. Stir in the bitter orange juice and season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve hot in soup bowls with avocado.
Notes
- In the Dominican Republic, this soup is traditionally made with fish heads to create a rich broth. Fish heads are more affordable than fillets and add deep flavor at a lower cost.
- Straining matters: Passing the broth through a strainer keeps the soup enjoyable and bone-free.
Nutrition
Calories: 230kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 578mg | Potassium: 959mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2756IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 1mg