Name: Fish Vegetable Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 2 garlic cloves; 1 onion; 2 oz lean bacon (See note 1); 1 tablespoon olive oil; 2 carrots; 2 medium potatoes or 1 larger; 1 red bell pepper; 1 thin leek; 4 cups vegetable stock; 3/4 cup heavy cream; 1/2 cup milk; 10 oz pollack filet (See note 2); 1 tablespoon chopped parsley; 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt (or Kosher, more to taste); 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (to taste)

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

A mild and delicious fish soup with vegetables and pollock fillets, this is one of our favorite fish soups.

POLLOCK SOUP

This fish vegetable soup is definitely something for people who think that they don’t like fish soup. After having this soup, they will change their mind about it! This particular fish soup was definitely the mind-changer for me.

There aren’t many things I don’t like, but fish soup was at the top of that short list. I always thought fish soup is one of those acquired tastes, something you have to try over and over again before you start appreciating its taste, like olives, for example (which I adore).

This is an updated post from 2015. I am now a total fish soup aficionado and I have two more amazing recipes on the blog to prove it! Try the Fish Soup with Potatoes or my absolute favorite Brazilian Fish Stew (or soup) Moqueca de Peixe.

INGREDIENTS FOR FISH VEGETABLE SOUP

Fish:

During the past years I’ve tried several versions of this fish and vegetable soup. I liked them all but this particular version of the soup has become our favorite.
The original recipe was given to me by a friend, it was a soup I ate for the first time at her house. She made the soup with salmon and that was great, of course.
I use pollock fillets often, because that is what I have in the freezer most of the times, but feel free to use other fish fillets instead.
Other suitable fish for the soup would be salmon, cod, sea bass, pollack (a fish sort similar to pollock, yet slightly different) and so on.
As mentioned above, I make the soup with frozen and thawed fish fillets most of the times.
But if you live in an area where fresh fish is abundant and readily available, do use fresh fish instead. I am sure that fresh fish would make this soup even better.

Stock:

Most fish soups are made with fish stock, which is absolutely great and you can use that (if you have it) and in order to make this soup taste more like fish.
However, for this fish vegetable soup I use vegetable stock or broth most of the times. The choice is yours.
By using vegetable stock, you still get the fish taste, but not very strongly, it is there, it is nice and it doesn’t try to overwhelm your taste buds with its fishiness. That is what makes this soup perfect for people who are eating fish soup for the first time.

Bacon:

The small amount of lean bacon makes the soup heartier.
A combination I came up with after eating one of my favorite German fish dishes: plaice with bacon cubes and butter. It is amazing! Probably the best thing you could order in a restaurant when on holiday at the seaside in Germany.
I use already cubed lean bacon, if you have a whole piece, chop it finely.

Vegetables:

Potatoes – always perfect in a fish soup.
Carrots
Red bell pepper
Leek

Dairy:

Heavy cream – the original recipe I got from my friend, was made only with heavy cream. I replaced about half of the heavy cream with milk (to cut on some calories) and I found the fish soup just as delicious as before.
Milk

HOW TO MAKE FISH VEGETABLE SOUP?

The fish vegetable soup recipe is super easy and super quick. After chopping all the veggies, you will only need about 20 minutes cooking time.

Thaw the fish fillets, if necessary.
Chop the vegetables, so that you have them ready when you need to add them to the soup. Set aside.
Chop the onion and bacon (if not already cubed) very finely and cook them in the heated oil for a few minutes. Add the garlic, stir for another minute.
Add the chopped vegetables to the pot and cook for about 3-4 minutes, stirring a few times in between.
Add the stock, bring everything to a boil and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes.
In the meantime cut the fish fillets into bite-sized pieces.
When the vegetables are soft, add the fish, heavy cream, milk, salt and pepper to the soup and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Check the fish and take care not to overcook it.
I always undercook the fish, it will continue cooking during the few minutes you will need to bring the soup to the table.
Adjust the taste with some freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt and pepper.

HOW TO SERVE FISH SOUP?

Serve the fish vegetable soup immediately, if you leave it for too long, the fish will be overcooked.
However, if you have leftovers, you can definitely reheat them. The fish will not be as tender anymore, but the soup will still taste good.
Let the leftover soup cool down and refrigerate immediately. Don’t keep it for more than one day.
Serve with baguette, dinner rolls or crusty bread. And some lemon wedges on the side.

MORE HEARTY SOUPS?

Vegetable Meatball Soup – meatball vegetable soup with turkey meatballs, this is one of my favorite soups ever!

Vegan Peanut Soup with Coconut Milk – simple vegan peanut soup with vegetables and coconut milk.

Homemade Chicken and Potato Soup – easy to make, healthy chicken soup with potatoes, peas, carrots and lots of parsley, this soup is perfect for kids.

German Cheese and Leek Soup – a favorite party soup in Germany, one plate of this soup and you will need nothing else.

German Savoy Cabbage Soup with Ground Meat – another typical German soup with savoy cabbage, ground meat and potatoes, perfect for the cold winter days.