aplough, Author at Eat Simply, Eat Well

Smoked Salmon Soup with Summer Vegetables

September 11, 2015 by aplough

If you like fish soup, you’re going to love this recipe. Unlike many of the fish soups I’ve enjoyed in here in the Nordics, there are no potatoes in this one, and no cream or milk. Just a lovely, clean, light salmon stock perfumed with a bit of dill and filled with bright, colorful summer vegetables.

If you have fish stock on hand, either your own home-made version or store-bought, this soup is literally 15 minutes away from serving time. It’s fast, it’s easy, and it’s really, really good.

Packed into this soup are a myriad of colorful veggies: carrot, zucchini and peas.

Peas are still being sold in the markets around here, but if you can’t find fresh, frozen peas work really well here. The peas you find in your grocery market’s freezers go from field to freezer in about 2 hours when processed commercially, making frozen peas a healthy and delicious alternative to fresh.

We’ve already talked about the wonderful abundance of zucchini this time of year – so adding it to the soup seemed like a nice way to use up some more. It adds great texture and color here, and of course a few more nutrients. If it’s Winter and you want to make this soup, but there is no zucchini to be found, frozen corn would be a nice add-in here, as well.

Instead of using raw salmon, which is traditional in most salmon soups, this recipe calls for smoked salmon. The mild smoky flavor of the smoked salmon complements the vegetables so well! Smoked salmon is cured with salt, so don’t add salt until after you’ve added the salmon and tasted it – you can always adjust the seasonings at the very end if you feel it needs a little more.

This light, refreshing soup is perfect served absolutely on its own, or with a few slices of fresh bread. It also freezes well since there is no potato or cream, so you can double the batch and freeze some for a later date. Either way, you may find this a soup you want to make over and over again.

Smoked Salmon Soup with Summer Vegetables (gluten-free, dairy-free)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 medium carrots, peeled and cut into small sticks
1 cup zucchini, cut into small sticks
1 small clove garlic, minced
4 cups / 1 liter salmon stock or other fish stock
150-200 g smoked salmon, separated into flakes, bones and skin removed
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
salt and pepper if needed

Heat the olive oil in a 3-quart/liter heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots, and cook until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and garlic and sauté an additional two minutes.

Add the salmon stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the carrots are tender; about 8 minutes.

Add the peas, smoked salmon, and dill to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then immediately turn off the stove. Taste the soup and add salt and pepper if needed.

Serves 4.

Are you looking for other salmon recipes? Try these:

Did you like this recipe? Do you have favorite ways to use smoked salmon? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

Salmon Stock

September 11, 2015 by aplough

Have you ever wondered if there is anything you can do with leftover salmon or other fish carcasses? Have you been buying store-made fish stock and wondered how you could make great fish stock yourself?

Today I want to share with you how to make an easy salmon (or other fish) stock in less than an hour.

I remember going to pick up salmon from the fish counter of my local grocery store many years ago when I was still living in Seattle. They had run out of the pre-cut filets, so the gentleman at the fish counter kindly filleted the whole salmon I’d purchased, for me. As he wrapped up the fish, he asked “do you want the fish head and bones, as well?” I replied, “No thanks – what in the world would I do with them?” I didn’t have a clue.

Nowadays, the answer to that question is always, “Yes, of course!”, because I know a secret that I didn’t know then: those previously unwanted scraps make some of the best fish stock a person could hope for, and from there, you can launch hundreds of recipes into a completely new flavor arena without spending all day at the stove trying to find the depth of flavor you’re dreaming of.

A few days ago, I visited my local market in Hakaniemi, a neighborhood of Helsinki, for the specific reason that I wanted to buy a kilogram of the fish bones in order to make salmon stock. Today I want to share my method with you, because once you know how to do this, you have the beginnings of really delicious, savory, seafood dishes.

A few notes:

Fish bones aren’t always for sale, but if you ask, most fish counters will be willing to sell or give them to you, since they are otherwise scrap that they have to get rid of at the end of the day. At Hakaniemi market hall, I paid €3 for one kilogram of fish bones.
You can freeze the bones and heads from fish you catch yourself, and make the stock later if you don’t have time to make it immediately.
Most fish will work for this stock – if you have other fish carcasses on hand, feel free to use them instead, keeping the amount of bones around 1 kilogram/2.2 pounds for this recipe.
Include the head too – there is a lot of flavor in the head (and the cheeks, once cooked in the broth, are a delicious cook’s treat). Just make sure to remove the gills before adding the head to the stock pot.
Rinse the fish parts to remove all leftover blood and viscera – it’ll create scum on the top of your broth. Don’t worry if there is a little left – it’ll rise to the top of the broth during the early stages of cooking, and you can simply skim it off.
If you have used leeks recently in a recipe, save the leek tops and add them to this stock, or other stock recipes. They add a really nice flavor that complements the onion. Also, you can replace one onion with one whole leek, including the greens, if that is what you have on hand.
Stocks are a great way to use up vegetable scraps: when I’m peeling carrots I save the peel; when I cut up celery stalks I save the leaves; when I use the white part of the leek I save the greens – and pretty soon, you have all the ingredients you need for making a great stock. All of the above freeze well, so you can keep a ziplock bag in the freezer, and add to it until the day you want to make stock.
If you don’t have whole peppercorns or whole allspice, you can sub in 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice.
This fish stock freezes really well. I typically freeze it in labeled, 2 cup / half-liter portions so I can quickly add it to risottos, soups, or use as poaching liquid.

Salmon Stock

2.2 pounds / 1 kg salmon bones, including head (gills removed), rinsed
10 cups / 2.5 liters cold water
2 yellow onions, peeled and cut into 4-6 pieces
2 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
2 medium carrots, washed and cut into 6 pieces each
1 stalk celery, cut into pieces
2 bay leaves
8 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 tablespoons fresh or frozen parsley
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
10 black peppercorns, crushed with a mortar and pestle or the back of a knife
5 whole allspice, crushed with a mortar and pestle or the back of a knife

Place all ingredients in a large, heavy-bottomed stockpot. Bring to a full boil over high heat; then reduce heat to medium so the stock continues to cook at a low, gentle boil. You want it to be just barely bubbling. With a spoon, remove an scum that has risen to the top of the stock and discard. Continue to cook, uncovered, for 45 minutes.

Add 1.5 teaspoons salt, and allow the mixture to boil for an additional 5 minutes.

Remove from heat. Place a large stainless steel colander over a large bowl, and pour the broth mixture through the colander in order to catch all of the solids. Discard the solids (some people like to save the carrots, and remove the fish still attached to the bones for another use; it’s up to you). If you want a stock with no residue, strain the stock one more time through a fine mesh colander into another bowl.

You can use the stock immediately, refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.

Makes approximately 8 cups/2 liters.

Did you like this post? Have you made salmon or other fish stock? Do you have any questions about the process? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

Lingonberry Custard Buckwheat Tart

September 9, 2015 by aplough

Would you believe that this beautiful tart is actually something so good for you, that you could actually eat it for breakfast, without guilt?

What?!? Pie for breakfast? I’m definitely in.

Here’s the thing: most pies can’t really be considered health food, (though one could argue that some pies are so good they are comfort food, and there’s something to be said for that). But this is a case of being able to have your pie and eat it too:

no refined sugars – maple syrup provides the sweetness
no refined oils – coconut oil adds a lovely flavor profile
gluten-free, whole grain flour – buckwheat
plain yogurt – no funny stuff added
a superfood: lingonberries
good quality protein, Omega 3 and vitamins D & B12 – organic eggs

Pretty good, right? This is definitely a dessert you can feel good about. So if you want to enjoy a slice with your morning coffee and call it a well-rounded option, well, let’s just say it may have been done before. Possibly.

Lingonberries are in season right now here in Finland. All across the forests you can see these bright red berries contrasting beautifully with the dark green leaves of their low-lying bushes. I picked the ones for this pie, but if you are living in a place where Lingonberries grow and don’t have the time or don’t want to pick them yourself, you can probably visit your local Farmer’s market right now and get a 5 kilogram box for €25 or so, without every crossing through a spider web or picking your way through the pine trees – though you will miss the mighty stillness and beauty of the Autumn forest.

However it is that you get access to your Lingonberries, know that you’re doing your body a favor. This is one powerful, nutrient-filled berry. They :

can lower inflammatory molecules
block oxidants from destroying tissue
help the body replace important antioxidants
have been used to treat people suffering from diabetes and cardiovascular illness
are an excellent source of vitamin A
are a good source of vitamin C and Calcium and fiber

Sources: Dr. John Anderson, doctoroz.com, National Food Institute at Denmark Technical University

Note: if you can’t find Lingonberries, Cranberries, Bilberries and Blueberries, all cousins and part of the vaccinium family of berries, are a fine substitutes here. Fresh and frozen berries both work well; do not use dried berries for this recipe.

Yup. Pie for breakfast. I really like the sound of that.

Lingonberry Custard Buckwheat Tart (gluten-free)

Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F. Line the removable bottom of a springform pan with parchment paper, attach the top securely, and cut away the excess parchment paper.

Make the crust:

1 cup/2.5 dl/200g buckwheat flour
4 tablespoons/40g coconut oil
1/4 cup / 1/2 dl pure maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Combine all ingredients together in a small bowl until smooth and uniform. Press the crust mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the spring form pan. Use your fingers to smooth and press the dough: you want it to come up about 1″ / 2.5cm. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.

Make the filling:

2 cups / 500 g plain yogurt (use Greek yogurt for best results)
1/2 cup / 1 dl pure maple syrup
zest of one organic lemon
2 organic eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup / 250 g fresh or frozen lingonberries (do not use dried berries)

Combine all the filling ingredients except for the lingonberries. Once the crust is ready, remove it from the oven and pour the yogurt mixture into the hot crust. Sprinkle the lingonberries evenly over the filling. Place the pan back into the hot oven and bake until it has puffed slightly, is golden around the edges, and jiggles slightly in the middle when you gently shake the pan; about 35 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and allow the tart to cool completely. Run a thin sharp knife between the edge of the pie and the pan. Release the springform and lift the top away. Gently lift the pie away from the springform bottom, grab the parchment paper and hold it firmly as you slide the tart onto a serving tray. Enjoy!

Serves 8-12.