Have you ever made a seafood soup? If you haven’t now is the perfect time to give it a try. I always like to remind people that recipes are guidelines, if you don’t have everything on hand or you don’t like an ingredient, replace them.
It’s really that easy and if you enjoy eating what you’ve created in your kitchen you’re going to enjoy spending more time cooking.
We love seafood at our house and sometimes we end up with odds and ends from our meals. Some are cooked and some are raw. The best way to make use of these leftovers and unused portions is to make seafood soup or stew out of them.
At one time soups were always made from leftovers. It’s the easiest way to use up the ingredients that have been hanging out a little too long in your fridge, freezer and pantry, instead of throwing them out as too many people do.
You work hard for your money so make use of all the food you buy and create delicious dishes that your family will love!
If you enjoyed this soup, you’ll also love my San Francisco Cioppino Recipe.
What do I need to make seafood soup?
Let’s gather the ingredients to make our seafood soup recipe. In Chef Speak this is called the Mise en Place which translates into everything in its place.
You’ll see in my bowl of seafood the different ingredients that I had on hand. If you don’t have any seafood leftovers to start with, use new ingredients you enjoy the most or happen to be on sale at your local grocer.
As I do with meats I save all the scraps of trim that look too good to throw out and save them in the freezer till needed. This goes for leftovers of cooked seafood from dinner at home or the doggy bags we bring home from a night out.
Don’t throw out those expensive leftovers, freeze them to make soup.
*Chef Dennis Tip
Save shrimp shells and scraps of fish you can’t eat to make a seafood stock out of for your favorite fish soup, or chowder.
What kind of fish can I use in seafood soup?
Any type of fish that you enjoy eating will work in soup. Cut the fish into small pieces if they’re not a flaky fish. Fish like cod will pretty much just break up into flakes as the soup cook so you don’t have to worry about making it too small. Otherwise think in terms of bite-size pieces.
Do I have to use shellfish in seafood soup?
No, you don’t. If you’re allergic to shellfish or simply don’t like certain shellfish, leave them out. Use ingredients you enjoy eating.
Let’s get started making our seafood soup. In a large pot over medium-high heat add the olive oil, celery, onions and carrots. Saute for 3-4 minutes then add the rest of the vegetables except for the tomatoes. Continue to cook the veggies over medium heat for 5 – 10 minutes.
I use my favorite 6 qt. Copper Core 5-ply All-Clad pot for this soup. It’s classified as a roaster and is a great pan for use in your kitchen! It’s the perfect soup pot and so much more.
Should I cook the vegetables before adding the water to the soup?
Letting the vegetables cook before adding water to the pot goes a long way in improving the flavor of the soup. as the vegetables cook, the water steams off and the vegetable’s natural sugars start to break down.
This process improves the vegetable’s natural flavor of the vegetables while adding a distinct nuttiness to the flavor profile. If you can let the veggies cook over low for 15-20 minutes it will improve the overall flavor of the soup.
This cannot be accomplished by boiling the vegetables. And that is why it’s important to let the veggies cook before adding the water.
After the vegetables have been cooked, add the stock, tomatoes and seasonings to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let the soup simmer for 30 minutes.
*Chef Dennis Tip
I have found that using chicken stock instead of fish stock gives seafood soups a more palatable flavor. Seafood stocks tend to have a softer taste and a more pronounced seafood flavor. Chicken stock adds a sharper flavor while balancing the overall seafood taste, making it milder allowing the seafood to stand out more than just blend in.
Add the seafood to the soup pot and continue to simmer for 30 minutes to an hour. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.
Can I add white wine to my seafood soup?
You sure can. Adding a little of your favorite white wine will help enrich the flavor. If you’d like to change up the seasonings to a Thai flavor, think about using coconut milk, lemongrass, and your favorite Thai spices instead of old bay and thyme.
Garnish soup with chopped parsley and serve with your favorite crusty bread.
Recipe FAQ’s
Seafood soups can be broth-based like my seafood soup and sometimes contain tomatoes.
Chowders are traditionally made with milk or cream, butter, potatoes, salt pork (bacon), onions, celery and sometimes carrots.
Seafood Stews are chunky soups with less liquid that can be cream-based or broth-based.
Besides being a delicious and good use of leftover seafood, fish contain many essential nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids and high-quality proteins.
Fish Bone Broth is the king of bone broths. It’s rich in iodine, and collagen which supports good gut health.
More Soup Recipes You’ll Love!
Seafood Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fish assorted
- 2 tbsp olive oil more or less as needed to saute vegetables
- 1 cup celery diced
- 1 cup onions diced
- 1 cup carrots diced
- 2 cup potatoes diced
- 1 cup zucchini diced
- 1 cup corn kernels
- 2 cups plum tomatoes or crushed tomatoes
- 2 quarts chicken stock
- 1 tbsp old bay
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme fine chop
- 1 tbsp Italian parsley – chopped garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium-high heat add the olive oil, celery, onions and carrots. Saute for 3-4 minutes then add the rest of the vegetables except for the tomatoes. Continue to cook the veggies over medium heat for 5 – 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and let the veggies cook for 10-15 more.
- After the vegetables have cooked, add the stock, tomatoes and seasonings to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let the soup simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add the seafood to the pot and continue to simmer for 30 minutes to an hour. Reseason to taste with sea salt and black pepper if needed.
- Garnish soup with chopped parsley and serve with your favorite crusty bread.
Beth
I looked at so many recipes and just kept coming back to this one and I’m so glad I did!! I followed your recipe to a tee with a few exceptions, I used 1 can Hunts Diced Basil, Garlic & Oregano tomatoes, 1 3/4 cups chicken broth, 1/4 cup white wine, I do love seasoning, so while sautéing the veggies, added Everglades Seasoning, very popular hear in South FL, garlic & Onion powder and a few shakes of red pepper flakes like you suggested to another person to add some heat. Put the cod in the last 30 minutes and added shrimp and scallops the last 10 minutes, served with crusty bread and wine, we absolutely were blown away, this was so amazing, 5 stars from my husband and I, will definitely be on our menu from now on. I will be following you for more recipes. Thank you for sharing this one and your knowledge of cooking
Chef Dennis Littley
I’m happy to hear you made my soup and made adjustments according to your taste preference; that’s what cooking is all about! I hope you find more recipes on my website to enjoy.
Jill
This is so good! I’ve been looking for something with just this flavor! I used half German thyme and half lemon thyme from my garden. Gave it a nice bright flavor. I will definitely make this again! Love it!
Graham Brown
Hi, just made this, it turned out very good. Just 2 comments, it does not explicitly say when to add the thyme and does not show in the ingredients. Me, being stupid, thought I added the thyme as a garnish at the end.
Graham
Chef Dennis Littley
Hi Graham
Sorry for the misunderstanding, the thyme isn’t listed separately but it does say to add all seasonings in the post and in the directions. Actually adding it as a garnish isn’t stupid at all. It can still be stirred in and add flavor to the soup.
Jim
Just made this great recipe,
Easy , perfect for a frozen Nova Scotia evening.Added add 3 ish tablespoons of fresh lemon juice.
Fantastic.!!
Meliss
Graham,
I was about to do the same thing since Parsley wasn’t in the ingredient list. So thank you! When in question, go straight to the reviews
Ginny Brant
This was an easy wonderful recipe! Delicious! Didn’t have zuchini so substitued mixed vegetables for corn and zucchini – still wonderful!
PMG
What about if you want to make it a little spicy ? What is recommend to be used ?
Chef Dennis Littley
you can add crushed red pepper flakes as part of the seasoning to kick it up a little. You can of course add what ever type of hot sauce when you serve it, but if you want to make it spicier overall, I would go with the red pepper flakes.
Jerry
Tried it tonight, amazing. I put the shrimp last so they don’t get rubbery. I also put a squirt of fresh lemon juice just before serving. Will definitely make this again.
Mike
Was looking for a seafood soup recipe using chicken stock or broth. Tried this yesterday using Cod and Halibut. LOVED IT!… It really does pay to cook the vegetables longer like Chef Dennis says (will start doing this with other recipes). Next time will add more vegetables (love my vegetables)! Thanks Chef, this was GREAT!
Judy Fryover
This is the first time I have made seafood soup. The recipe was delicious & is a keeper.
Kelly
I made this on a “snowed in” day. It was absolutely delicious. My husband and I love all fish and seafood but this was my first attempt at Seafood Soup. When my husband got up he said good morning is there any soup left? Will definitely make again. Thanks for great recipe
Chef Dennis Littley
I’m happy to hear you and your husband enjoyed the soup Kelly! It’s a staple in our home, using whatever seafood I happen to have on hand.
Thanks for the comment and great review!
Chris Larsen
How much olive oil ?
Chef Dennis Littley
1-2 tablespoons, to saute vegetables
Sheryl Baker
Hi,
I am looking for a recipe that will work well with all these ingredients if possible.
I live in the greater Seattle area and fresh seafood is abundant and my freezer is packed.
I want a soup type if possible to incorporate Scallops, razor clams, mussels, prawns, lobster, squid and dungeness crab. If you can steer me to a recipe that will cover these yummy items, my freezer will thank you.
Sincerely overstocked,
Sheryl
Chef Dennis Littley
you can use all the ingredients you have to make this soup. It works well with all seafood
Erick
If you add scallops and snow crab does it still require the ‘simmer’ for 30 to 60 minutes? Thanks.
Chef Dennis Littley
I would not add items like scallops and crab until the soup was almost done cooking, those items as well as shrimp will only need about 10 minutes in the hot soup.
Erin
Great recipe! We tried it with frozen scallops and loved it. Thanks!
John Quinn
Chef Dennis can I use fully cooked and frozen shrimp if I just warm them up in hot water for a minute and then pour the soup over them? Also will Anise work well as a vegetable?
Chef Dennis Littley
you sure can John, just thaw them and pour the hot soup over the shrimp. As for anise, thats a hard question, it might be too strong for the dish but if you like the flavor of anise you could try it and see. I might be more tempted to saute some Fennel with the vegetables to add a little bit of the anise flavor, if you like it you can always add more the next time you make it
Stephanie
What can I replace the tomatoes with in this soup?
Chef Dennis Littley
If you’re not fond of tomatoes you can just leave them out. You could replace them with pureed white beans if you like, but the soup will be fine without the tomatoes. If its too thick you can add a little water or more chicken stock.
John Ashauer
My wife is allergic to chicken. Does seafood stock work?
Thanks,
John
Chef Dennis Littley
seafood stock or vegetable stock will work nicely.
Ilona
Oh I love the white bean idea. My two year old boy loves broth and typically only eats that part of soup. I like to blend up white beans into soup to make sure he’s still having a meal. Will be trying this tomorrow with salmon as that’s what I have in the freezer.
Donna thomson
Recipe looks good dying to try it. Can artificial crab be used in this soup as well as shrimp.
Was not sure if the artificial crab would be rubbery.
Please let me know.
Thank you
Donna
Chef Dennis Littley
sure, just don’t add it into the soup until your ready to serve. Give it a quick heat in the soup and it will be fine. You can do that for the shrimp as well. In a restaurant, we would make the soup base with everything but the expensive seafood. place those ingredients (including precooked shrimp) in the serving bowl to get to close to room temp and then ladle the very hot soup on top. Garnish and serve!
Jacque Hastert
I love all things seafood and soup is perfect for this week. I will have to order the ingredients and make this tomorrow.
Kacey Perez
This recipe was easy to make and incredibly flavorful! Definitely a good change from using chicken in the soups I usually make for the family!
Chef Dennis Littley
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe Kacey. Thanks for the great review and comment!
Jo
Have to tell this soup is absolutely delicious telling! The flavors are so amazing. I wish I had all the ingredients to try it right away. saving it to give it a try later when things settle down.