Easy Fish Bisque Soup
With these balmy summer evenings, I reminisce upon our family trip to St. Remy de Provence a couple of years ago. I miss blissful days sipping rosé all day by the pool, eating fresh heirloom tomatoes, and indulging in French pastries. This trip is one of my favourite family holidays in Europe.
Dreaming about beautiful Provence, I decided to turn my fish chowder into a “bisque” soup by blending the chowder into a smooth and creamy soup. This makes for an easy family supper served with a simple green salad and crusty ciabatta. I even laid out the classic tablecloth linens and opened a bottle of rosé we bought from St. Remy de Provence.
Traditionally, bisque is a smooth, creamy French soup made from a mix of crustaceans such as lobster, crab, shrimp, and crayfish. The trick in making delicious soups starts with the classic mirepoix. This is traditionally a blend of onions, carrots, and celery sauteed in butter or olive oil to draw out the aromatic flavours for savory dishes. Other aromatic base include garlic, bell peppers, leeks, and even bacon such as in this recipe.
For this Fish Bisque Soup, I used a fish pie mix consisting of white fish and salmon. I also added some sweet potato to make it an extra nutritious family-friendly meal. A generous dose of thyme (my favourite herb!) gives this fish bisque soup a Provençal flare. I turned a classic fish chowder to a bisque by blending it to a smooth texture and added a dash of cream for a luxurious texture. Whilst not the traditional Provençal seafood bisque found in sunny France, this soup is still delicious and nutritious for the whole family.
Until we can get back to Provence or the Cote d’Azur, I’d happily make this fish bisque any day!
Enjoy the last weeks of summer!
Fish Bisque Soup
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
- Hand Mixer or Food Processor
Ingredients
- 4 ounces bacon 3 thick-cut slices or 4-5 thin slices, chopped
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 cup sweet potato peeled, diced
- 2 cups red potato skin-on, diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 3.5 cups lower-sodium seafood broth
- 3/4 cup double cream
- 1.5 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1-2 dried bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tin of sweet corn kernels
- 500 g fish pie mix 1-inch chunks salmon, cod, halibut, tilapia
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook bacon pieces until crisp.
- Remove bacon from pan, placing on paper towel to cool. Keep bacon fat in pot; you should have about 2-3 tablespoons.
- Add onions and diced potatoes, sauteing 5-6 minutes or until onion is tender.
- Add in red bell pepper, sauteing for 3-4 minutes
- Stir in broth, thyme, bay leaf and bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low, cover to simmer for about 10-12 minutes, or until potatoes are fork-tender.
- Stir in double cream, pepper and salt, increase heat to medium-high, and stirring constantly, bring to a simmer (do not boil).
- Add sweet corn and fish, and gently cook just until fish is opaque and flakes easily with fork, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in cooked bacon.
- When cool enough to handle, use a hand mixer to blend the fish chowder to a nice bisque.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve hot with hot crusty bread
