Ecuadorian biche or viche fish soup
User Reviews
4.9
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Prep Time
30 mins
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Cook Time
1 hr 15 mins
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Servings
8
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Course
Soup
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Cuisine
South American, American, Ecuadorian
Ecuadorian biche or viche fish soup
Description
This Ecuadorian fish soup starts by simmering fish heads and bones to make a light, seasoned broth. A refrito of onions, garlic, and cumin is blended with toasted peanuts and milk, then strained and combined with the broth for a creamy, nutty base. Separately, onions, garlic, bell pepper, and spices including annatto and oregano are cooked and added to the soup along with peanut butter for richness.
The soup includes cassava, ripe plantains cut into rounds, and fresh corn pieces, which simmer until tender, absorbing the broth's flavors. White fish fillets are added toward the end to cook gently in the broth. The final result is a thick, comforting soup with a balance of earthiness from the peanuts and subtle sweetness from the plantains and corn.
This dish is served with lime slices and hot sauce on the side, allowing diners to adjust brightness and heat. It is a wholesome meal combining starchy vegetables and tender fish with a unique peanut-flavored broth.
Ingredients
Fish and peanut broth
- ½ - ¾ lb fish heads and bones or use a small whole fish
- 8 cups water adjust based on how thick you want the soup, 2-4 cups
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup peanuts lightly toasted
- 2 tbs sunflower oil
- 1 cup onion red, chopped
- 1 tsp cumin ground
- 4 garlic crushed, cloves
- salt to taste
Fish soup
- 2 lbs White fish fillets halibut, monkfish, ling cod, sea bass, etc, cut in medium sized pieces
- 2 tbs butter or oil
- 2 cups onion about 1 whole onion, red, chopped
- 6 garlic crushed, cloves
- 1 bell pepper diced, about 1 cup
- 1 tbs oregano dried
- ½ tbs cumin ground
- 1 tsp annatto powder or achiote
- 2 tbs peanut butter unsweetened, plain
- 1 ½ lb cassava peeled and quartered, fresh or frozen, also called yuca
- 2 plantains the ones that are starting to get black, sliced in about 10 rounds per plantains, very ripe
- 2 corn cut into 6-8 small rounds per ear of corn, ears
- 2-3 cilantro or parsley; finely chopped
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
To serve:
- lime slices
- hot sauce
Instructions
Fish and peanut broth
- Bring 8 cups of lightly salted water to boil, add the fish heads, bones and other pieces, boil for about 30 minutes or until the pieces begin to come apart, strain the broth.
- Heat the 2 tbs of oil over medium heat to prepare a quick refrito, add the onions, garlic, cumin and salt, cook until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes.
- Blend the lightly toasted peanuts with the refrito, the milk, and 2 cups of the fish broth, blend until smooth.
- Strain the peanut, milk, refrito and broth mixture and mix with the remaining fish broth plus 2-4 cups of cold water.
Fish soup
- Heat the 2 tbs of oil over medium heat; add the chopped onions, garlic, pepper, achiote powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and cook over low heat until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes.
- Add the fish peanut broth and bring to a gentle boil.
- Add the corn, the yuca and the 2 tbs of peanut butter. Simmer for about 35-40 minutes or until the yuca is cooked.
- Add the plantain slices and the fish chunks, cook on low heat until the fish is cooked, about 8-10 minutes.
- Sprinkle with the chopped cilantro and serve warm with lime slices.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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