CALORIE COUNT: 163
My sister Debs is incredibly skilled in the kitchen, having trained in the world-renowned kitchens at Ballymaloe in Ireland. This soup is designed to bring all the rounded, rich flavor of a traditional French fish stew to your low-calorie fast day soup bowl. Even without the usual butter, aioli, and croutons, this is still quite a fancy dish. One to make when your Fast friends drop by. Notice the calorie count. Sing.
Serves 4
11/2 teaspoons olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 bulb fennel, trimmed and thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 red chile, finely chopped (seed first if you prefer less heat)
A generous pinch of saffron threads
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
One 14-ounce/400g can diced tomatoes
51/4 cups/1.25 liters fish or vegetable stock
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper
14 ounces/400g white fish fillet, cut into chunks
8 mussels, scrubbed
8 large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails left on
A handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Lemon juice, for serving
Heat the olive oil in large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and fennel and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, till softened but not colored. Add the garlic, ginger, chile, saffron, and paprika and cook for 2 minutes more, till fragrant. Stir in the tomatoes, stock, sugar, and bay leaf, scraping the pan with a wooden spoon to release any stickiness on the base. Season and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Gently lower the fish, mussels, and shrimp into the soup, cover the pan, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes till the fish and shrimp are just opaque and the mussels have opened (discard any that have failed to open). Check the seasoning and serve with a scattering of parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice to taste.
NB
ONLY 2G FAT, BUT A SUBSTANTIAL FULL OUNCE OF PROTEIN PER SERVING—AND A TON OF TASTE.