Creamy Cod Soup with Croutons
This is my version of a wonderful fish soup that I ate in Paris. This creamy cod soup is served with cheesy croutons. The trick is to allow the croutons to soak for just long enough to flavour them, without getting soggy before devouring them.
Ingredients
Serves: 2
- 175ml light mayonnaise
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 teaspoon saffron threads, pounded to a powder in mortar and pestle
- 4 teaspoons dried breadcrumbs
- 145g crushed chillies
- 1/2 baguette, sliced into 1cm rounds
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 1 leek, white part only, chopped
- 1 pinch saffron powder
- 1 bay leaf
- 175ml white wine
- 75ml red wine
- 115g cod fillets
- 250ml water
- 250ml beef stock
- 1 plum tomato, seeded and chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
- 1 tablespoon plain flour
- 125ml single cream
- 130g Gruyere cheese, grated
Method
Prep:20min ›
Cook:20min ›
Ready in:40min
- In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, 4 cloves of garlic, saffron, breadcrumbs and crushed chillies. Set aside.
- Preheat the grill. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking tray. Place under the grill for a few minutes to toast. Set coutons aside to cool.
- Heat olive oil in a stock pot over medium heat. Add 4 cloves of garlic, onion and leek; saute for a few minutes until tender. Add a pinch of saffron and the bay leaf. Pour in the white and red wines, then place the fish in the pan and pour in enough water to cover the fish just barely. Simmer for about 10 minutes, turning the fish carefully as needed, until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
- Remove the fish from the stock with a slotted spoon, and set aside. Pour in the beef stock and simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes to burn off some of the alcohol and reduce the broth. Remove the bay leaf and transfer the stock to a blender. Add the tomato, lemon juice and parsley to the blender. Puree in batches if necessary and return to the pot.
- Whisk the flour and cream into the pot and set over medium heat. Whisk in about half of the mayonnaise mixture, or to taste. Return fish to the soup and break into small pieces. Season to taste with salt and pepper and heat through.
- Spread the remaining mayonnaise mixture onto the toasted bread slices, and top with grated Gruyere. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and float croutons on top.
Alternatives to cod:
Try this recipe with inexpensive fresh coley or pouting. They both belong to the cod family but are much cheaper and available in larger supermarkets or fishmongers.
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Reviews & ratings
Average global rating:
(10)
Reviews in English (7)
This soup looked intriguing, so I tried it tonight. It's fantastic! I followed the recipe exactly, but used red snapper instead of cod. I also didn't use a cup of red pepper flakes, since I think that's a mistake. I probably used 1/2 teaspoon and it was perfect for us. Great recipe though, worth every minute of preparation. - 04 Sep 2006 (Review from Allrecipes US | Canada)
This is absolutely delicious. I didn't have the leek or lemon so I put more onion. I also used chicken stock instead but did add in a beef bouillon to compensate. Even my father who is not a fish fan ate every last drop. - 18 Feb 2011 (Review from Allrecipes US | Canada)