Easy Flounder Soup Recipe from Spain

Mastering cooking skills is vital, and Spanish soup recipes provide an amazing playing field to develop new culinary techniques while enjoying delicious dishes.

The flounder soup is one of the easiest Spanish soup recipes, boasting a rich cultural background and a delicious, unique flavor.

In this article, you will find everything there is to know about one of the finest Spanish soups, complete with a step-by-step explanation of how to prepare fish soup, along with additional tips for storing and serving.

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Pssst…!!?? You can’t get enough of Spanish fish recipes? Have a look at my other posts: 

• Caldo gallego soup

• Best fish soup recipe in the world

• Mackerel soup recipe

Background of the Dish

Historically, coastal communities in Andalusia relied heavily on local seafood for their diet, and one of the oldest recipes to be created in the region is the Spanish fish soup. 

The traditional version of that dish used any type of white meat fish, such as hake, cod, or halibut, but as time went by flounder filets were included in the mix.

Today, the flounder soup serves as a testament to the region’s culinary heritage and continues to be enjoyed by locals and visitors alike, and with our recipe you will be able to enjoy it in the comfort of your own home.

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Things You’ll Need for Flounder Soup

To make this recipe for Spanish soup you will need flounder filets, potato, carrots, garlic cloves, onion, olive oil, and fish or vegetable broth as the main ingredients.

Ingredients

• 500 gr flounder filets
• 6 cups (1.5l) fish or vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 carrots
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 potato
• 1 can (400gr) diced tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh chopped parsley (optional, for garnish)
• Lemon wedges (optional, for serving)

How to Make Flounder Soup – Step by Step Guide

1. To start with this Spanish soup recipe, peel and chop the potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Then, peel and chop the carrots, onion, and celery stalks into small squares. Lastly, peel and mince the garlic cloves. Set them aside.

2. After that, pat the flounder filets dry with kitchen paper. Make sure to buy them completely clean, but check and remove any scales, skin, or bones if needed. Cut the filets into bite-sized pieces.

3. Now, grab a large pot and heat the olive oil over medium heat. Also, add the diced onion and garlic and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes.

4. For the next step in this fish soup recipe, add the carrots, celery, and potato to the pot and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Then, pour in the fish or vegetable broth and bring the mixture to a simmer. Once simmering, add the diced tomatoes, dried thyme, dried parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.

6. After that, gently add the flounder pieces to the pot. Take the best fish soup to a simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork.

7. Do a taste test on the soup with fish and adjust the seasoning if needed. Once the fish is cooked, pour the soup into bowls and optionally garnish it with chopped fresh parsley.

8. To finish the recipe, serve the flounder soup hot. As an alternative, you can add lemon wedges on the side and squeeze it over the fish broth soup before eating.

Substitution of Ingredients

The best part about the flounder soup recipe is that you can let your imagination run wild and play with the ingredients you use, as long as you have three main components: fish filets, vegetables, and liquid content.

Like most flounder soup recipes, using fish or vegetable broth is the best alternative as they pair really well with the flavors of the fish, but you could use water and a bouillon cube instead.

When it comes to the vegetables, you can make this fish broth soup with your favorite mix as long as you adapt the cooking times. Some new additions could be sweet potatoes, bell peppers, or pumpkin.

If you can’t find flounder at your local fishmonger,  then hake, cod, or halibut come close to flounder in the race for the best fish for soup and you can use any of them instead.

Try the halibut soup soup instead, a nutritious and creamy Spanish fish soup you will love.

If you’d like to use a different type of protein, you can check out our other fish soup recipes, such as Spanish shrimp soup or Spanish seafood soup.

Tips on Serving Flounder Soup

The flounder soup can be served as a main dish, both for lunch or dinner, and you can enjoy it all year round.

The lemon wedges are optional, but they give a more complex flavor profile to the flounder fish soup, enhancing its brightness and adding a refreshing citrusy note.

To add a new texture, you can do like other fish soups and add toasted nuts or croutons on top, providing a delightful crunch to each spoonful.

Besides that, you can take inspiration from other recipes for fish soup and turn this into a fish noodle soup by serving it with a portion of your favorite cooked pasta.

How to Store Flounder Soup

If you are wondering whether you can store this flounder soup or not, we have some amazing news for you: Yes, you can, both in the fridge and freezer.

In both cases, once you finish preparing the fish soup recipe, you have to let it cool to room temperature, which should take from 30 to 60 minutes (it should stop releasing steam).

After that, pour the easy fish soup into an airtight container (or multiple, if you want to serve it in portions), cover the top with plastic wrap to prevent a crust from forming, and then with a lid.

Now, you will be able to store the flounder soup for up to 3 days in the fridge or 60 days in the freezer, and then reheat it on the stove over medium-low heat.

Are you a meal-prep enthusiast? We have more Spanish soup recipes for you, such as caldo de pescado or fish head soup.

Recipe Card: Flounder Soup

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