Mediterranean Seafood Soup Recipe
If you’ve been dreaming of a seaside escape to the French Riviera or a quiet bistro in Sicily, this Mediterranean Seafood Soup is the next best thing. It’s light yet incredibly satisfying, packed with fresh ocean flavors, and surprisingly easy to whip up on a weeknight.
Ingredients
Seafood & Stock:
- 450 g 1 lb fresh clams, scrubbed
- 225 g 8 oz monkfish fillet, cut into chunks
- 350 g 12 oz red mullet or snapper fillet, cut into chunks
- 600 ml 2 ½ cups fish stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
Vegetables & Aromatics:
- 1 fennel bulb halved and sliced
- 1 red bell pepper seeded and sliced
- 8 plum tomatoes halved
- 1 onion cut into wedges
- 4 garlic cloves crushed
Seasonings & Liquids:
- 120 ml 4 fl oz / ½ cup white wine
- 15 ml 1 tbsp olive oil
- 5 ml 1 tsp fennel seeds
- A pinch of dried chili flakes
- 45 ml 3 tbsp Pernod
- Salt and ground black pepper
Additional:
- 225 g 8 oz waxy potatoes, sliced
- 1 mini French stick baguette
- Fennel fronds to garnish
For the Rouille:
- A few saffron threads
- 150 ml ⅔ cup mayonnaise
- A dash of Tabasco sauce
Instructions
Cook the Clams:
- Place the clams in a pan with the white wine.
- Cover and cook over high heat for 4 minutes or until opened.
- Drain, strain, and reserve the liquid.
- Discard any unopened clams and set 8 in their shells aside. Shell the remaining clams.
Prepare the Soup Base:
- Heat olive oil in a pan and sauté garlic, fennel seeds, and chili flakes for 2 minutes.
- Add sliced fennel, bell pepper, tomatoes, and onion. Pour in the reserved cooking liquid and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add potatoes, bay leaf, thyme, and fish stock. Cover and cook for 15–20 minutes.
Make the Saffron Rouille:
- Pound saffron into a powder, then mix into the mayonnaise with Tabasco sauce.
Finish the Soup:
- Add fish and Pernod to the soup. Simmer for 3–4 minutes.
- Add all clams and cook for 30 seconds.
- Remove bay leaf and thyme, season with salt and pepper.
Prepare the Toasts & Serve:
- Slice the French stick into thin slices and toast on both sides.
- Spoon rouille onto the toast.
- Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with fennel fronds, and serve with the toasts.