Who else loves soup as much as I do, even on hot days?! I’m a soupaholic. I can’t seem to get enough, no matter how hot it actually is outside. I spend a grand amount of time at local produce markets looking for veggies to always have on hand for soup days or when I’m having a bit of cabin fever (which, unfortunately is becoming my norm as of late due to the pandemic😒) . This soup requires some time but not lots of effort as anyone can throw fish and raw veggies into a pot with boiling water. This soup is a cross-pollination of different variations of West Indian soups. Since I find myself naturally gravitating towards a fish and veggie based diet these days, I opted to omit the chicken. But feel free to add some dark meat chicken in the pot as everything else cooks. The sweet potato and okra combined in this soup remind me of a homey version of chicken dumpling soup without being overwhelming and heavy. And if you must know, this picture was taken on my fire escape. (Yes, I had lots of free time that day🥰). I figured it was befitting to create a rustic backdrop for a simple soup. Please leave your comments/questions below after you’ve tried this recipe!
Corn and Sweet Potato Soup with Tilapia
- 3 ears of corn, peeled and halved with husks removed
- 4 Cups of homemade chicken stock or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock
- 4 Fresh 4 oz-fillets of tilapia (frozen works too!)
- 1 Cup of whole, fresh okra
- 1 Large sweet potato, chopped into 1-inch cubes
- 1/2 habanero pepper, seeded and diced
- 3 stalks of celery, diced
- 1 Medium onion, chopped
- 6 Cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 1/4 of a cup of finely chopped parsley
- 1 Dry bay leaf
- 1 Cup of canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 Tablespoon of adobo seasoning
- 1 tbsp of ground black pepper, plus 1 tsp
- 1 tbsp of salt
1. Start by patting the tilapia fillets dry with paper towels and seasoning liberally with the adobo seasoning and black pepper on both sides.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the extra virgin olive oil in a large soup pot on medium high heat.
3. Sear the tilapia fillets until the fish is brown, about 1-2 minutes on each side. Remove from the pot and set aside.
4. Heat the remainder of the olive oil in the same pot and add the diced celery, chopped onion and diced habanero pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5-8 minutes on medium heat until the veggies are translucent.
5. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
6. Pour the chicken stock into the pot and let the entire contents of the pot come to a boil with the lid on.
7. Once the stock comes to a boil, add the bay leaf, corn and sweet potato. Simmer for 20 minutes with the lid on medium low heat.
8. Uncover and add the okra and beans and cook for no more than 5-7 minutes.
9. Finally, add the fish and allow to warm through for 3 minutes.
10. Garnish with parsley and enjoy!!!
Codfish, known to Italians as Bacalao and lovingly to my grandmother as “salfish” is a commonly used ingredient in West Indian cooking. I remember sitting on my grandmother’s kitchen countertop when I was little while she meticulously boiled and cleaned her codfish, removing the bones and reiterating to me again and again “Salfish tastes the sweetest when you fry it in oil”. Now, salted fish doesn’t exactly sound appetizing and may evoke memories of awry childhood adventures to the fish market (that is, if you come from an immigrant family). I always remember going to the fish market with my mom on Saturdays and being absolutely terrified of my soon to be dinner (though I did forget about it by the time dinner was served:) Nowadays, I choose to buy my salted fish at the regular grocery store in bags free of bones. Please try this recipe and leave your comments below!
Indulgent Simplicity 