Fish Soup - Simple Ukha Recipe
Easy fish head soup is a simple Ukha recipe that is nutrient-dense and satisfying but you can also make it with just 2 fish fillets.
Servings 6 servings
Equipment
Ingredients
Stock Base for Fish Soup
- 2 pounds fish head, tails, or fish fillets see notes
- 4 quarts filtered water
- 1 large yellow onion peeled and halved
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
Fish Soup
- 5-6 large Yukon gold potatoes
- 3 medium carrots peeled and sliced
- 1 lemon
- 4 sprigs fresh dill or scallions for garnish
Instructions
Base for Fish Head Soup
- In a large stockpot, place well-washed fish heads or tails, add aromatics such as bay leaves, peppercorns, and onions. Season with salt and fill with enough water to barely cover all ingredients.
- Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then lower heat so that it barely simmers with an occasional bubble. Gently simmer for 20 minutes.
- Using a fine mesh sieve, strain the broth into a medium size stockpot. Separate the fleshy pieces of the fish and discard the carcass.
Base for Quick Fish Soup
- In a medium stockpot, place well-washed fish fillets, add aromatics such as bay leaves, peppercorns, and onions. Season with salt and fill with water about ⅔ full.
- Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then lower the heat so that it barely simmers. Gently simmer until the fish has cooked through (approx. 10 minutes).
- Remove the fish fillets and onion from the pot. When cool enough to handle, peel the skin off the fish fillets and flake with a fork. Discard onions. You can keep the broth in the pot and remove any visible scum with a small sieve.
Fish Soup
- To a medium size pot full of base fish stock, add diced potatoes and sliced carrots and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Then, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are tender (approx. 6 minutes)
- Transfer the cooked salmon meat from the fish head or the fish fillet to the pot and simmer for 2-3 more minutes.
- Take the soup off heat. Squeeze in some lemon juice, garnish with fresh dill and slice of fresh lemon.
Notes
Storage: Transfer leftover fish head soup to an airtight container or keep it in the pot with a lid. Store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days and reheat over medium heat on stovetop. Avoid boiling it vigorously.
Helpful Tips:
- Using fish heads - If you want authentic fish head soup, use 3-4 pounds of fish head and tails for a more robust flavor. You can also follow this detailed recipe for fish stock for all my tips and tricks.
- Use fish fillets to save time - If you're short on time, use 2-3 fish fillets, weighing 6 ounces each. Simmer for 10 minutes, then remove the fillets, peel off the skin, and flake the fish. From there, simply add potatoes and carrots directly to the fish stock and return the flaked fish.
- Strain the broth - Though not necessary if you use fish fillets, straining the broth is recommended if you use fish heads. Elements in fish heads and tails make the broth unsavory.
- Add cooked fish last - Fish can become rubbery if overcooked. To avoid this, add fish pieces towards the end of the cooking process and simmer gently until just cooked through.
Nutrition
Calories: 218kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 1250mg | Potassium: 1035mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 5140IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 2mg