Fish soup (Greek islands recipe)

Published: Jan 19, 2018 · Modified: Nov 3, 2020 by Makos

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Traditional recipe for Greek fish soup with potatoes and vegetables also known as Psarosoupa. The most delicious dish made from scratch for a healthy and cozy family dinner.

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This healthy fish soup with potatoes and vegetables is one of those recipes which give you amazing results with minimal effort. It's a recipe coming from the Greek islands usually made when the weather gets cold, mostly because it's a very warm and comfortable meal.

This fish soup gets thickened by pureeing some of the vegetables and by adding a mixture of egg and fresh lemon juice called "avgolemono" in Greek. Don't be surprised by the use of avgolemono, once you try this soup you will be making it again and again!

The fish and the rest of the vegetables are served on a large plate next to the soup, according to the Cretan traditional way. A drizzle of lemon and olive oil dressing on top of the fish is obligatory! This is one of my two most favorite fish recipes (the other being these healthy salmon burgers) and I believe it will become your favorite too!

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I don’t want to brag, but my mom makes the best fish soup in Crete. Seriously! And I'm not the only one saying this… Everyone who has ever tasted this fish soup with avgolemono and vegetables confirms that it’s the best soup he’s ever eaten. So make sure you pin it, bookmark it, print it, or do whatever you do with your favorite recipes because you’ll want to make it again and again!

And my mom's secret? Except for the pureed vegetables which give body and flavor to the soup, a few cloves (just 2-3) lend warmth and compliment the aroma of the fish. My mom also says that the cloves cut down any excess fishiness that can be unpleasant to some people.

My Greek fish soup basic ingredients

white fatty fish with skin and bones (my favorite is red snapper and some cod)
water
Vegetables (potatoes, carrot, tomato, red onion)
cloves
parsley
bay leaves
salt and pepper
rice (optional)
e.v. olive oil
freshly squeezed lemon juice
egg

How do you make fish soup from scratch?

Prepare the fish (rub with lemon juice, then rinse with water and drain)
First boil the vegetables until almost done and then add the fish to the pot (the fish needs less time to cook)
Once cooked, transfer all the fish and most of the vegetables from the pot to a serving plate. Then puree the rest in a food processor or with an immersion blender.
Add some rice and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the rice is done.
Turn off the heat and add the lemon juice and egg mixture (avgolemono). This will make the soup extra smooth and velvety.
Serve.

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The lemon juice and egg mixture -Avgolemono

In this fish soup, except from pureeing some vegetables, another thickening technique is the use of avgolemono. You may find it strange, but it's a Greek classic, used in many soups and other dishes. An egg gets beaten with some freshly squeezed lemon juice and then it is gradually added to the soup. This mixture is called “avgolemono” from the words avgo (egg) and lemoni (lemon).

The only thing you have to be careful of is to gradually add some of the hot soup to the bowl with the avgolemono, about half a cup at a time. This will temper the mixture and will prevent it from curdling. Make sure to whisk constantly with a fork/whisk during this procedure. Then add the mixture to the pot with the rest of the soup and stir to combine. And don’t worry, the residual heat of the fish soup will completely cook the egg!

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Some notes/tips:

Don’t omit the cloves! They play a major role in this recipe.
Use good quality fish. Fresh fish is always best but a good quality frozen one will also give you great results.
Red snapper and some pieces of cod is my family’s favorite combination, but you may use other types of white fatty fish, too.
It's very important to use skin-on and bone-in fish, since this is going to give flavor to the soup.
If you have any leftovers you can reheat this soup gently, without letting it come to a boil for the egg not to curdle.
A general rule to estimate how much rice you’ll need for the soup is to use 2 tablespoons rice per serving (and a little less than 2 cups of soup per serving)

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