Sopa de Mariscos
A rich, tomato-based sopa de mariscos loaded with shrimp and white fish, simmered in a deeply flavorful broth with warm spices for a comforting coastal-style soup
Equipment
- Large pot or Dutch oven
- blender or immersion blender (optional)
- Wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 bell pepper diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 1 can 28 oz crushed tomatoes
- 6 cups seafood or fish broth
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper optional, for heat
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 lb shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 lb white fish fillets cut into chunks
- ½ lb mussels or clams scrubbed (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh cilantro chopped, for garnish
- Lime wedges for serving
Instructions
Sauté the Aromatics
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, then add the diced onion, bell pepper, and celery. Cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened and the onion turns translucent.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for another 30-45 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant but not browned, since burnt garlic can turn bitter and affect the flavor of the entire broth.
Build and Simmer the Broth
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, seafood broth, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper if using, and bay leaf, mixing everything together until well combined. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.
- Let the broth simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, to allow the flavors to develop and deepen. This step is important, since a rushed broth won't have the same rich, layered flavor that makes a good sopa de mariscos recipe stand out.
Add the Seafood and Finish
- Add the shrimp, fish chunks, and mussels or clams if using, directly into the simmering broth. Cook for 5-7 minutes, just until the shrimp turns pink and opaque, the fish flakes easily, and any shellfish shells have opened, discarding any that remain closed after cooking.
- Remove the bay leaf, season the soup with salt and pepper to taste, then ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh cilantro. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side for squeezing over each bowl.
Notes
- Letting the tomato-based broth simmer for the full suggested time before adding any seafood makes a real difference in the final flavor, so try not to rush through that step even if you're hungry and ready to eat.
- Adding the seafood toward the end of cooking, rather than simmering it for a long time, is the key to keeping everything tender instead of rubbery or overcooked.
- If using mussels or clams, discard any that don't open after cooking, since this usually means they weren't fresh to begin with.
- Fresh seafood broth or fish stock will give the richest flavor here, but a good quality store-bought version works well too if fresh isn't available.
- This soup tends to taste even better the next day once the flavors have had more time to meld, so leftovers are a great option if you're not in a rush to eat it all right away.