Summary: Homemade seafood soup is one of the great comforting dishes of Spanish seafaring cuisine: an intense and aromatic broth made with fish stock and seafood shells, enriched with a sofrito of onion, garlic, tomato, and paprika, in which prawns, mussels, clams, monkfish, squid, and other seafood are cooked. It is a dish that warms the body and soul, perfect for cold months and for celebrations where you want to impress without excessive complications.
Table of Contents
- What is homemade seafood soup?
- Homemade fish stock: the foundation of it all
- Ingredients for seafood soup
- The base sofrito: onion, garlic, tomato, and paprika
- Step-by-step preparation
- How to thicken the soup: bread, rice, or potato
- Regional variations: suquet, caldeirada, and zarzuela
- Tips for a perfect seafood soup
- Frequently asked questions
- Related recipes
- Conclusion
What is homemade seafood soup?
Homemade seafood soup is one of the great comforting dishes of Spanish seafaring cuisine: an intense and aromatic broth made with fish stock and seafood shells, enriched with a sofrito of onion, garlic, tomato, and paprika, in which prawns, mussels, clams, monkfish, squid, and other seafood are cooked. It is a dish that warms the body and soul, perfect for cold months and for celebrations where you want to impress without excessive complications.
What differentiates a homemade seafood soup from an industrial one is, without a doubt, the fumet: that golden and fragrant broth obtained by simmering prawn heads, shrimp shells, fish bones, and aromatic vegetables. A good homemade fumet is the backbone of the soup, the ingredient that gives it depth, complexity, and that authentic sea flavor that no cube or prepared broth can replicate.
At Bacalalo, where we have been working with the best seafood products at Mercat del Ninot for over thirty years, we know that a good seafood soup starts with excellent raw materials. Our gourmet preserves and ready meals are a perfect complement to enrich any homemade soup.
Homemade fish stock: the foundation of it all
Fish stock (or fish and seafood broth) is the base upon which the entire soup is built. Without a good stock, no matter how excellent the seafood, the soup will lack the depth and complexity that make it special. The good news is that making homemade fish stock is simple, economical, and uses parts of the seafood that are usually discarded.
Ingredients for the fish stock
- Prawn and shrimp heads and shells (always save them when peeling seafood)
- 1 monkfish head or hake bones or other white fish (avoid oily fish, which give a strong flavor)
- 1 onion cut into quarters
- 1 clean leek cut into pieces
- 1 carrot cut into slices
- 2 sprigs of parsley
- 1 bay leaf
- 5-6 black peppercorns
- 100 ml dry white wine
- 1.5 liters cold water
Preparation of the fish stock
- Sauté the seafood heads and shells in one tablespoon of olive oil for 3-4 minutes over medium-high heat, crushing them with a wooden spoon to extract all the flavor and coral. The aroma released is already a promise of what is to come.
- Add the vegetables and sauté for 2 more minutes, stirring.
- Pour in the white wine and let the alcohol evaporate for 1 minute.
- Cover with cold water, add the bay leaf, parsley, and pepper, and bring to a gentle boil.
- Reduce the heat to minimum and cook for 25-30 minutes. No more: unlike meat broth, fish stock becomes bitter if cooked too long.
- Strain with a fine sieve or chinoise, pressing the solids well to extract all the flavor. Discard the solids.
The fish stock can be prepared a day or two in advance and stored in the refrigerator, or frozen in portions to always have it available. It is a base that transforms any fish or seafood recipe, from a simple rice dish to a luxurious zarzuela.
Ingredients for seafood soup (6 servings)
Seafood and fish
- 12 large prawns (with head and shell, which you will use for the fish stock)
- 500 g fresh mussels (or canned mussels)
- 250 g fresh clams
- 300 g clean monkfish cut into medallions
- 200 g squid rings (or clean squid cut into rings)
- 6 large shrimp (optional, for garnish)
For the sofrito
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 ripe tomatoes, grated (or 200 g crushed tomatoes)
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika from La Vera
- 1 teaspoon hot paprika (optional)
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 100 ml white wine or brandy
- 1.5 liters homemade fish stock
- Salt, pepper, and fresh parsley
Related products from Bacalalo
The base sofrito: onion, garlic, tomato, and paprika
The sofrito is the second pillar of seafood soup, along with the fish stock. A well-made sofrito—with the onion slowly caramelized, the tomato cooked until all its acidity is gone, and the paprika added at just the right moment—provides the flavor base upon which the seafood will shine.
- Heat the olive oil in a wide, deep pot over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it is completely transparent and soft. Don't rush: well-poached onion is sweet and silky, while a half-cooked onion will leave an aggressive taste in the soup.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for 1-2 more minutes, stirring to prevent burning.
- Add the grated tomato and slightly increase the heat. Cook for 5-7 minutes until the tomato darkens and loses its raw acidity. You will see it change from a bright red color to a darker, more concentrated shade.
- Remove the pot from the direct heat momentarily and add the sweet paprika (and hot paprika if using). Stir quickly for 10 seconds. Paprika is always added off direct heat because it burns in seconds and irredeemably bitterens the entire soup.
- Return to the heat, pour in the white wine or brandy, and let the alcohol evaporate for 1-2 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to incorporate any stuck-on flavors.
Step-by-step preparation of the soup
Step 1: Prepare the seafood
Peel the prawns, reserving the heads and shells for the fish stock. Clean the mussels by scraping the shells and removing the beards under running water. Place the clams in salted water for 30 minutes to allow them to expel sand. Cut the monkfish into 2 cm medallions and the squid into 1 cm rings. Pat all the seafood dry with kitchen paper.
Step 2: The fish stock
Prepare the fish stock as explained above. If you have it made in advance, gently warm it. If you want a shortcut, boil the shrimp heads and shells in 1.5 liters of water for 20 minutes and strain. It won't be a complete fish stock, but it will be infinitely better than plain water or boxed broth.
Step 3: The sofrito
Prepare the sofrito as described in the previous section. This is when your kitchen will fill with an irresistible aroma that will anticipate the feast.
Step 4: Incorporate the fish stock
Pour the hot fish stock over the sofrito, stir well, and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes to allow the flavors of the sofrito and fish stock to meld. Adjust seasoning: the fish stock will already have some salt from the seafood, so proceed with caution. It's better to under-salt and correct at the end.
Step 5: Cook the seafood (in order)
The key to a perfect seafood soup is to add each ingredient at the exact right time, according to its cooking time, so that everything is perfectly cooked simultaneously:
- First the monkfish (8-10 minutes): add the monkfish medallions to the gently boiling soup. Monkfish takes the longest to cook.
- After 3 minutes, the squid (5-7 minutes): add the squid rings. Squid needs either a very short cook (2-3 minutes) or a very long cook (40+ minutes). With a short cook, it's tender; anything in between, it becomes rubbery.
- After 5 minutes, the clams and mussels (3-4 minutes): add them directly to the soup. They will open with the heat in 3-4 minutes. Discard any that do not open.
- Finally, the prawns (2 minutes): add them at the end, already peeled, and cook for just 2 minutes until they turn pink. If you are using whole shrimp for garnish, add them now as well.
Step 6: Rest and serve
Remove the pot from the heat, sprinkle generously with fresh chopped parsley, and let it rest for 3-5 minutes, covered. This resting period allows the flavors to settle and the temperature to drop just enough to enjoy without burning. Serve in deep bowls or in the clay pot itself, accompanied by crusty bread for dipping.
How to thicken the soup: bread, rice, or potato
Seafood soup allows for different degrees of thickness, depending on preferences and regional tradition:
- With bread: Toast slices of day-old bread and place them at the bottom of each bowl before pouring in the soup. The bread absorbs the broth and creates a rustic and comforting texture. This is the traditional option in humble seafaring cuisine.
- With rice: Add 80 g of round grain rice (such as Bomba or Calasparra) to the broth 18 minutes before adding the seafood. The rice will naturally thicken the soup and turn it into something halfway between a soup and a brothy rice dish.
- With potato: Incorporate 2 medium potatoes cut into cubes into the broth and cook for 15 minutes before adding the seafood. The potato partially breaks down, thickening the broth and adding body. This is the most common option in Galicia.
- With a "majado" (mortar mixture): Pound in a mortar 2 fried garlic cloves, a handful of toasted almonds, a crouton, and a sprig of parsley. Dissolve this mixture in a little broth and add it to the soup 5 minutes before finishing. It adds body, flavor, and a slightly grainy texture very characteristic of Valencian cuisine.
Regional variations: suquet, caldeirada, and zarzuela
Suquet de peix (Catalonia)
Suquet is the Catalan version of seafood soup, originating from the fishermen of the Costa Brava. It is characterized by including potato as a thickener, a sofrito with chopped almonds that adds body, and using rockfish (monkfish, scorpionfish, cabracho). It is a denser soup than the Castilian version, almost a stew, and is traditionally served in the same clay pot in which it is cooked.
Caldeirada (Galicia)
Galician caldeirada is a fish and seafood stew with layered potatoes, more similar to a stew than a soup. It is assembled in a pot by alternating layers of potato, onion, pepper, fish, and seafood, covered with broth, and simmered without stirring. The beauty lies in not breaking up the layers when serving, presenting each plate as a vertical cut of the stew. It is rustic, hearty, and deeply Galician.
Zarzuela de marisco (Catalonia)
Zarzuela is the elegant cousin of seafood soup: a more concentrated stew, with more seafood and less broth, flavored with saffron and enriched with a mixture of almonds, hazelnuts, and garlic. The name comes from the musical zarzuela, because just like in the Spanish comic opera, there are many protagonists sharing the stage. It is the celebratory dish par excellence in the seafood restaurants of the Mediterranean coast.
Tips for a perfect seafood soup
- Never throw away the shells: Shrimp heads, prawn shells, fish bones, mussel shells with remnants of meat... everything has flavor to contribute to the fish stock. Freeze them until you have enough.
- Don't overcook the fish stock: 25-30 minutes maximum. Overcooked fish stock becomes bitter and cloudy. Strain it in time, and the flavors will be clean and intense.
- Paprika off the heat: This tip is non-negotiable. Paprika burns in 5 seconds on contact with hot oil and ruins the soup with an irreparable bitterness.
- Respect cooking times: Each seafood at its moment. If you throw everything in together, you'll end up with rubbery shrimp and raw monkfish, or vice versa.
- Quality fresh or frozen seafood: Frozen works perfectly, but avoid supermarket "seafood mixes" with excessive glazing and tiny pieces. Buy individual quality pieces.
- Adjust at the end: Salt, lemon, and parsley are added just before serving. A squeeze of lemon at the end brightens all the flavors of the soup.
- Do not cover during seafood cooking: Cooking with the lid on raises the temperature and overcooks the seafood. Only cover during the final resting period.
Conclusions
- What is homemade seafood soup?: Homemade seafood soup is one of the great comforting dishes of Spanish seafood cuisine: an intense and aromatic broth made with fish stock and seafood shells, enriched with a sofrito of onion, garlic, tomato, and paprika, in which prawns, mussels, clams, monkfish, squid, and other seafood are cooked.
- Homemade fish stock: the foundation of everything: Fish stock (or fish and seafood broth) is the base upon which the entire soup is built.
- Ingredients for seafood soup (6 servings): The sofrito is the second pillar of seafood soup, along with the fish stock.
- Step-by-step preparation of the soup: Peel the prawns, reserving the heads and shells for the fish stock.
- Regional variations: suquet, caldeirada, and zarzuela: Suquet is the Catalan version of seafood soup, originating from the fishermen of the Costa Brava.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make seafood soup without homemade fish stock?
You can, but the result will be significantly inferior. If you don't have time to make fish stock, at least boil the heads and shells of the prawns you'll be using in water for 20 minutes. This will provide a basic broth with seafood flavor. Store-bought fish broths are a last resort, but choose quality ones and complement with a very well-made sofrito to compensate for the lack of depth.
What fish can I use in seafood soup?
Firm white fish are best: monkfish, hake, meagre, grouper, or turbot. Avoid oily fish (sardines, mackerel, tuna) because their fat will cloud the broth and add too strong a flavor. Monkfish is the king of seafood soups because it maintains its shape during cooking and doesn't fall apart. Hake also works well but requires less cooking time.
Can seafood soup be frozen?
The base broth with the sofrito freezes perfectly and lasts up to 3 months. However, it's not advisable to freeze the soup with the seafood already cooked, because when thawed, prawns and squid become rubbery, and mussels and clams lose all their texture. The best strategy is to freeze the base broth and add fresh seafood when reheating.
How long can seafood soup be kept in the refrigerator?
Homemade seafood soup keeps well in the refrigerator for 2 days in an airtight container. Reheat it over low heat, without letting it boil vigorously, to avoid overcooking the seafood. By the third day, the seafood loses texture and flavor, so it's best to prepare only the amount you will consume within 48 hours.
Can I use frozen seafood for the soup?
Yes, it works very well. Frozen peeled prawns, frozen squid rings, and frozen mussels yield excellent results in soups. The key is not to thaw them beforehand: add them directly to the hot soup and adjust cooking times by adding an extra 1-2 minutes. Frozen clams also work, although fresh ones always have better texture.
What is the difference between seafood soup and zarzuela?
The main difference is the proportion of broth to seafood. Seafood soup is a brothy dish with seafood, where the broth is the star. Zarzuela is a concentrated stew with a lot of seafood and little broth, where the seafood pieces bathed in a thick sauce are the stars. Additionally, zarzuela usually contains saffron and a nut paste (picada), elements not common in soup.
What can I do if my soup is bland?
First, add more salt and taste. If it's still bland, a generous squeeze of lemon juice will lift the flavors without adding saltiness. If it's still lacking, the problem lies in the fish stock: next time, concentrate the heads and shells more and cook them with less water. As an emergency solution, a teaspoon of miso paste dissolved in a little broth provides an umami depth that compensates for a weak fish stock.
Is it better to use an earthenware pot or a steel pot for seafood soup?
Both work well, but each offers distinct advantages. An earthenware pot retains heat exceptionally well and keeps the soup warm much longer on the table, besides giving it a rustic and traditional touch. A stainless steel pot heats up faster, allows for more precise temperature control, and is more practical for large quantities. For serving at the table, an earthenware pot is unbeatable in presentation and functionality.
How can I thicken seafood broth?
One of the most popular methods for thickening broth is to use wheat flour or starches such as cornstarch and potato starch. You just need to dissolve a tablespoon of flour or cornstarch in a little cold water and add it to the hot broth, stirring constantly.
What are the ingredients for seafood soup?
1 liter of fish stock. 250 grams of mussels. 250 grams of clams. 500 grams of prawns or shrimp. 1 medium leek (approx. 200 grams) 2 medium onions. 2 or 3 cloves of garlic. 500 grams of fresh or crushed tomatoes.
What can I add to the soup to give it flavor?
Parsley, thyme, basil, oregano, bay leaf, rosemary, cilantro are wonderful options that will give your dishes a unique and special flavor without the need to use too much salt. Try them and you'll see how your meals will no longer be bland. 3.
Related recipes
If you enjoy seafood soups and broths, discover more recipes on our blog:
- Seafood Fideuá: The original Valencian recipe — with the same fish stock, another spectacular dish
- Garlic Prawns: The perfect step-by-step recipe — the classic tapa
- Seafood Salad: Fresh and elegant recipe — the cold version of seafood
- Cod with Tomato: Homemade recipe — another reference seafood stew
- Garlic Cod: Quick recipe
Complete your seafood pantry with products from Bacalalo: gourmet preserves, mussels, cockles, and ready meals from the sea, of the highest quality.
