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4.9 from 213 votes

Ecuadorian biche or viche fish soup

Biche de pescado, or viche de pescado, is a traditional coastal Ecuadorian soup made with fish, peanuts, yuca, sweet plantains, corn, and other vegetables and spices.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 30 mins
Servings: 8
Course: Soup
Cuisine: South American , American , Ecuadorian

Ingredients

Fish and peanut broth
  • ½ - ¾ lb fish heads and bones or use a small whole fish
  • 8 cups + 2-4 cups water adjust based on how thick you want the soup
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup peanuts lightly toasted
  • 2 tbs sunflower oil
  • 1 cup chopped red onion
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 4 garlic cloves crushed
  • 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 chopped red onion about 1 whole onion
  • 6 garlic cloves crushed
  • 1 bell pepper diced, about 1 cup
  • 1 tbs dried oregano
  • ½ tbs ground cumin
  • 1 tsp achiote or annatto powder
  • 2 tbs plain peanut butter unsweetened
  • 1 ½ lb yuca or cassava peeled and quartered, fresh or frozen
  • 2 very ripe plantains the ones that are starting to get black, sliced in about 10 rounds per plantains
  • 2 corn ears cut into 6-8 small rounds per ear of corn
  • 2-3 finely chopped cilantro or parsley
  • salt and pepper to taste
To serve:
  • Lime slices
  • hot sauce

Instructions

Fish and peanut broth
    Cup of Yum
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Blend the lightly toasted peanuts with the refrito, the milk, and 2 cups of the fish broth, blend until smooth.
  4. Strain the peanut, milk, refrito and broth mixture and mix with the remaining fish broth plus 2-4 cups of cold water.
Fish soup
  1. 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.
  2. Add the fish peanut broth and bring to a gentle boil.
  3. Add the corn, the yuca and the 2 tbs of peanut butter. Simmer for about 35-40 minutes or until the yuca is cooked.
  4. Add the plantain slices and the fish chunks, cook on low heat until the fish is cooked, about 8-10 minutes.
  5. Sprinkle with the chopped cilantro and serve warm with lime slices.