Creamy Fish and Veggie Chowder

This recipe was born out of my wondering how to make a soup golden and creamy without using flour, butter or milk. The pureed carrot base gives this an appealing golden color, as well as adding more veggie nutrient goodness. I used to use cashew cream for this, but now I can’t have cashews. Thick coconut milk works very well, giving it a nice creamy texture. I don’t even like fish very much, but I know it’s an important part of a healthy diet so I try to find ways to fix it that work for me. This recipe became part of our regular meal list. Fish and veggies, with healthy fats, made into a soup that tastes fairly luxurious- what’s not to love?

We like this with a mild, white fish. My favorite is Orange Roughy, but it is hard to find. When Schwan's delivery service had it in stock, I would buy several packages! We have used fresh Cod when we could get it, and that was good. I would imagine that salmon could work well, too. I used to use a half pound, but my husband always wished for more fish, so now I use a full pound. I have considered using different seasonings, like maybe tarragon and bay. Someday. :)

I was thinking today, of how this might be made vegetarian/vegan. Of course, just leaving out the fish works well. Then you have a creamy vegetable soup. If you want protein in it, I'm sure there are options that will work. I often think of mushrooms as a good substitute for “meatiness.” I can’t eat them, so can’t experiment with them. Would chunks of something like portobello mushrooms, seasoned and lightly sautéed, be good in this? I could see small cubes of firm tofu, pressed, dusted with seasoned corn starch and lightly fried, going well with this. That would still have the “light” feel of the fish that works so well in this soup.

This was originally a vegetable soup that I invented, which I quite enjoyed. Later, I added the fish and then the family liked it better. This makes a nice, light lunch or dinner, especially with a good salad on the side. It would be so good with a nice hearty bread alongside. Once I learn to make a really good gluten- dairy- egg- eveything-free bread, this will be one of the first things I make to go with it.

Kristie’s Creamy Chowder

Dairy-free, gluten-free

(could be vegan/vegetarian)

Serves 4

Total time: about 45 minutes to one hour

1 or 2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium-sized carrots, peeled and chopped small

1 rib of celery, washed, trimmed and chopped small

1 quart of reduced-sodium chicken stock

½ to 1 pound of fresh fish (amount depending on your preference)

               If using it raw, cut the fish into bite-sized pieces, and check for bones.

               If baking first, leave the fillet whole for baking, or if it's quite large,

               cut it into chunks of about four to six inches.

Dried thyme, salt and black pepper (optional: lemon salt), a little garlic powder

1 small head of cauliflower (or half of a large head), washed, cored, and cut into small, bite-sized florets

1 large crown of broccoli (or two smaller crowns), washed, and cut into small, bite-sized florets

1 can thick coconut milk (I use Native Forest brand)

               (or- 1 to 1 ½ cups fairly thick cashew cream)

Dried parsley (about 1/2 teaspoon) 

Dried thyme (about 1 teaspoon)

A little bit of dried onion, about 1/2 teaspoon

There are two ways to do the fish for this chowder: cut it raw and add it at the end, or season and bake it first. I used to do the first way, but have changed, partly because I think it gives more flavor, and also because, when I forget to thaw the fish ahead of time, baking it speeds up the process. 

 

Get all of your other ingredients ready to go, so nothing burns while you frantically prep the next thing. Hear the voice of unfortunate experience there? :)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Put fish fillets into an oiled baking dish. Sprinkle with dried thyme and black pepper. Lemon salt is really tasty on this, but regular salt works just fine. Sprinkle with just a bit of garlic powder. If you can have a "lemon pepper" seasoning blend, that would work well, along with dried thyme. 

 While the fish is baking, heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat and add the carrots and celery. Stir and cook for a few minutes, then add just enough of the stock to cover the veggies. Cook until they are very soft, adding more stock if necessary so it doesn’t boil dry and burn. (again, the voice of experience)  Once the veggies are soft, pour them and the stock into a bowl to cool. Add the rest of the stock to the pot and add the cauliflower, along with dried thyme and parsley, and a little bit of dried onion. Over medium heat, return to a low boil and cook for about five minutes, then add the broccoli. Cook for five more minutes, or until the veggies are beginning to soften.

Bake  the fish until it is just cooked- just turning opaque (15 minutes?). If it is not quite done, it will finish cooking when added to the soup. You don't want to overcook it, as it may turn to pulp in the soup. Let cool just a little bit, then cut into bite-sized pieces, watching out for bones.

When the cauliflower and broccoli are almost done, add the coconut milk and fish pieces. While that heats, pour the cooked carrots and celery, along with the stock they cooked in, into a blender or food processor. Blend, adding a little stock or water if needed to get it very smooth, then add to the soup pot. Stir well, then taste and adjust salt/seasonings to your preference.

Enjoy! 

*For those who can eat them, fresh onions and garlic would probably be very good in this, and would add good flavor. If you use them, you would want to cut the onion into small pieces and mince the garlic well. I would guess that half of a small yellow onion and one clove of garlic would be enough for this. You could add them along with the carrot and celery, so they would be part of the base puree...or, before cooking the cauliflower, you could add a little oil to the pot and saute the onion until it turns translucent, add the minced garlic and the seasonings, cook very briefly, then add the stock and cauliflower. Whichever way you do it, add the garlic just before the other things are done. It burns so quickly, and makes everything taste bitter.

 

*Cashew Cream- there are several recipes for this on the internet. Basically, you take raw cashews, add an equal amount of water, and let them sit for several hours or overnight, then puree until nice and smooth. When I used cashew cream for this soup, I would start with about 3/4 cup of cashews. I have wondered whether it would be good to discard the soaking water, rinse the nuts, and add fresh water before creaming them.