SEAFOOD SOUPS

Seafood soups have many advantages. They can be served as a first course, a lunch or a main course and with so many varieties of seafood, there’s a huge flavor range. Since most the ingredients are always available, and seafood soups are generally lighter than others, they are acceptable all year. Several are delightful chilled in summer. Because they require less meat per portion than a plate serving, seafood soups are cost conscious, as well as offering a great way to introduce newcomers of any age to the delights of the sea.

However, my favorite things about seafood soups are first, they take relatively little time to make, far less than other entrée meat soups and second, the flavors often benefit from being made ahead, chilled then reheated. This means that seafood soups are the perfect dinner to have ready ahead for a busy 

The recipes below prove my point. For convenience sake I’m repeating two, New England Clam Chowder and the famous Bookbinder’s Soup from a previous posting n Jan. 29, 2022. And the freezer made Cioppino is a fun dish which will get you raves. In fact, all these seafood soups are winners. 

RECIPES

Manhattan Clam Chowder: Serves 6- Adapted from foodnetwork.com
1 ½  Tbs  oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 ½  celery stalks, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch crushed red pepper
¼  cup  tomato paste
1 Tbs. parsley flakes
1 ½ tsp. dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 large potato (about 3/4 pound), diced
5 cups clam juice (five 8-ounce bottles clam juice)
(1) 28-ounce can whole, peeled tomatoes (with liquid), roughly chopped
1 ½  cups minced or whole  baby clams, drained (about four 6-1/2 ounce cans)
1 Tbs. kosher salt or to taste
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
2 Tbs. chopped parsley for garnish
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, garlic, and crushed red pepper and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 8 min. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for about 1 min. more. Add the parsley, thyme, and bay leaf to the pot with the potatoes. Pour in the clam juice and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 10 min. Stir in the tomatoes and clams. Cover and bring to a low simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide among soup bowls and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve immediately.

New England Clam Chowder: Serves 6
3 cups peeled, diced potatoes- about 1 lb.
1 onion diced
(3) 6 ½ oz. cans of chopped or whole baby clams or about 1 pint fresh, shelled
Water
3 Tbs. butter
1 pt. half and half
Salt and pepper
Put the vegetables, clam juice and enough water to cover in a deep stockpot and simmer, partially covered about 20 min. Remove from heat. Stir in clams. In a separate sauce pot, make a roux by melting the butter and stirring in the flour to form a smooth paste. Gradually add the half and half stirring until very smooth. Add this sauce to the potato mixture and stir until smoothly incorporated. Heat through, but do not allow to boil. Serve hot with crackers.

Fast Salmon Chowder: Serves 6
2 tsp. oil
2 lb. skinless salmon fillets-packaged frozen is fine. Lightly poached in oil and 1 inch water, reserved
2 cans condensed tomato soup
2 cups milk
(1) 16 oz. can cream style corn
¼ tsp. EACH curry powder and ginger
1 lime sliced
Cut cooked salmon fillets in half lengthwise and gently shred meat into soup size pieces, Combine salmon, reserved liquid and all the other ingredients but the lime, in a deep pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until smooth and heated through. Serve at once with sliced lime.

Pea Soup with Floating Salmon: Serves 4 – A good choice summer or winter
1 Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. oil
1 medium onion, chopped 
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp. parsley flakes
2 lb. frozen green peas
(2) 14 oz. cans chicken or vegetable broth
½ cup water
1/2 cup half and half
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch dried dill weed or dab sour cream per portion for optional garnish
Melt butter in oil over medium heat. Add onion and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 6 min. Add garlic and parsley; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 10 sec. Stir in peas. Add water and broth; bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook until very tender, about 3 min. Puree the soup in batches in a blender until smooth. Stir in half-and-half, salt and pepper.
Note: Can be made ahead. Cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
SALMON
Poach, or bake (at 350 deg. for 18-20 min. in 1 Tbs. oil and 1 Tbs. lemon juice-total) 4 skinless salmon fillets-frozen packaged is fine- or 1 per serving. Chill if soup is served cold, otherwise serve at once garnished as desired.

Bookbinder Soup: Serves 6 – This soup was a famed Philadelphia institution for over 100 years
3 Tbs. butter
1 large onion –thinly sliced
1 green pepper –diced
3 stalks sliced celery
2 tomatoes peeled and chopped
1 quart fish stock=1/2 clam juice will do
1lb. red snapper fillets cut in 1 inch strips-alternately use sea bass or tilapia
1 ½ cups tomato sauce
1 cup sherry
Buttered croutons
Melt butter in a large stockpot and sauté onion, pepper and celery until tender. Add tomatoes and fish and cook, stirring, 3-4 min. Add stock and tomato sauce, bring to a boil, reduce heat and add sherry. Simmer 4-5 min. and serve hot with croutons.

Shrimp Bisque: Serves 6
1 ½ lb. raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
5 Tbs. butter
1 small onion-minced
1 stalk celery sliced
1 carrot sliced
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
¼ tsp. dried thyme
1 cup heavy cream
4 Tbs. dry sherry
Unsweetened whipped cream –optional garnish
Chopped chives-optional garnish
Chop shrimp. Melt butter and sauté vegetables until tender, Add shrimp and cook 5 min. stirring constantly. Add stock and thyme, partially cover and simmer, partially covered 30 min. Puree soup until smooth. Add cream and sherry and gently reheat. Serve hot with optional garnishes.

Cioppino: Serves 8-Please note this dish can be prepared completely from the supermarket’s freezer section which makes it quite reasonable for an 8 serving dish, and a fun, unusual menu choice.
¼ cup oil
3 Tbs. butter
2 onions-sliced
2 cloves garlic- minced
½ lb. sliced mushrooms
1 green Bell pepper-sliced
(1) 28 oz. can whole plum tomatoes in juice
(1) 6 oz. can tomato paste
2 Tbs. dried basil
1 Tbs. orange zest
1 Tbs. freshly ground pepper and salt to taste added a the end
2 cups dry wine
1 lb. cod, red snapper or tilapia
¾ lb. scallops
1 lb. mussels or clams
¾ lb. cleaned shrimp
Orange slices
Coarse fresh artesian bread
Sauté onions and garlic in oil and butter until tender. Add green pepper and mushrooms and cook until soft. Add tomato products, wine, spices and herbs and simmer, covered, 20 min. Add fish and scallops with additional wine to cover, if needed. Add mussels or clams and shrimp and, if using fresh, cook until shells open or about 5 min. Serve with lots of sliced artesian bread for sopping.