Caldo De Peixe (Cape Verde Islands) Fish Soup

"This is a traditional recipe from the Islands that Cape Verdeans still make. Additional seasonings are left to the cook, or table condiments can accompany the dish. This recipe was adapted from the Smithsonian Institution's, 1995 Festival of American Folklife Cookbook. Recipes for the cookbook were contributed by American Cape Verdeans who are active in preserving their cultural heritage. There are about 500,000 American Cape Vedeans."
 
Download
photo by Helena B. photo by Helena B.
photo by Helena B.
Ready In:
1hr 10mins
Ingredients:
10
Serves:
10
Advertisement

ingredients

Advertisement

directions

  • In a medium kettle, boil both white and sweet potatoes, about 15 minutes.
  • In a large kettle, gently saute chopped onions,red and green peppers and tomatoes in oil.
  • Next add fish cut into small pieces to the kettle and saute.
  • Add partly cooked white and sweet potatoes, along with enough cooking water to simmer the soup.
  • Simmer until potatoes and fish are done.
  • Add chopped parsley and chopped scallions to the kettle.

Questions & Replies

Got a question? Share it with the community!
Advertisement

Reviews

Have any thoughts about this recipe? Share it with the community!
Advertisement

Tweaks

  1. The basic recipe is good. The ingredients list is solid, but, speaking as a Cape Verdean, without a spice profile, these ingredients will be wasted. Here is an augmented version of this recipe that is truly authentic. Cape Verdean cuisine, like Cajun cooking or Indian dishes, is ALL about the spices. 6 Potatoes, peeled and cubed 3 Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cubed 1 bunch fresh Parsley 1 bunch of fresh Cilantro 1 Green Bell Pepper 1 Red Bell Pepper 2 cups cooked Garbanzo Beans (optional) 1 cup of Yucca (optional) 3 medium Onions 6 cloves of Garlic 2 medium Tomatoes 2 tablespoons of Tomato Paste 4-6 Spring Onions 3 pounds Salt Water Fish Olive Oil for sautéing the onions and garlic 2-3 tsp Salt 1 tsp Pepper 1 tsp dried Basil 1 tsp dried Parsley 1 tsp dried Cilantro 1 tsp Garlic powder 1/2 tsp Curry powder 1/2 tsp Paprika 1/4 tsp Chili Pepper flakes 2 Bay Leaves 1) Cut the fish into 2-3 inch pieces . 2) Add a little salt and pepper to the fish pieces and set aside for 10 minutes. 3) Heat a large pot and add 1/2 cup olive oil over medium high heat. 4) Add the onions, garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, cilantro and parsley, spring onions and peppers until the onions are translucent. Add the dried spices and stir together well until this mixture begins to simmer. Reserve some parsley for a garnish. 5) Cover with 12-16 cups of water and bring to a gentle boil. 6) Add the white and sweet potatoes, parsley and cilantro. 7) Check the potatoes after 12 -15 minutes. Once the potatoes are fork tender, add the fish and keep soup at a gentle simmer for another 20-30 minutes. 8) Taste broth and adjust salt. Garnish and serve.
     

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

I live in a wooded hillside area of Los Angeles where it feels like being out in the country. I grew up in Rhode Island, and came to LA after graduating from URI. I recently retired from my job as an environmental specialist. So now I have time to collect internet recipes. My hobbies & interests are aquatics, shell collecting, my cats, feeding stray cats, home improvement projects and cooking. I love to travel and, years ago, lived in Mexico for several months. My favorite cookbooks are the ones written by Diana Kennedy; they are all great; and I have them all, some signed by her when I was enrolled in her cooking classes. I have a lot of cookbooks; some of my other fave authors and their books are: Madhur Jaffrey (especially World Vegetarian, World of East Vegetarian Cooking and A Taste of the Far East), Faye Levy, Martha Rose Shulman (especially Mediterranean Light, Provencal Light and Mexican Light) and Paula Wolfert.
 
View Full Profile
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Find More Recipes