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Spicy Cilantro Lime Seafood Soup Recipe

Seafood Soups

Fresh fish, mussels, shrimp, chili peppers, cilantro and lime meld beautifully in this fish broth-based Peruvian-inspired spicy cilantro lime seafood soup.

When I worked at a seafood restaurant in Homer, Alaska, a young chef made an off-the-cuff Peruvian-inspired cilantro lime seafood pasta for a special one night. It was a slow weeknight, one where the chefs had a little more leeway to experiment. Few customers ordered it and he never made it again. But it was a hit among the staff and I’ll never forget it.

The two things that stood out were the lime and cilantro which fused beautifully with the sauce swimming with fresh seafood. This spicy cilantro lime seafood soup is inspired from that memorable creation.

Spicy Cilantro Lime Seafood Soup

This recipe is also included in my new book, Fearless Broths and Soups. The book includes over 50 simple 3-step recipes.  It is part of the “Soups from the Sea” chapter which features soups made with fish broth. If you’d like to get more recipes like this one, be sure to keep reading below the recipe.

Cilantro Lime Seafood

Spicy Cilantro Lime Seafood Soup Recipe

A Peruvian-inspired soup with fresh chiles, cilantro, lime and seafood all melding together in a fragrant broth.

Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American, Peruvian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 3 servings
Author Craig Fear

Ingredients

  • 1 quart fish broth
  • ½ – 1 pound shrimp, diced
  • ½ – 1 pound mussels
  • ½ – 1 pound white fish like cod, hake, haddock or halibut, chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 1-2 TBSPs olive oil or coconut oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2-4 cloves garlic, diced
  • 1-2 potatoes, chopped into cubes
  • 1-2 medium tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 hot pepper Thai red, jalapeno, serrano, etc., diced or 1-2 tsps chili powder, optional
  • 1 lime, quartered
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped
  • Fish sauce or sea salt, to taste

Instructions

  1. Saute onion and hot pepper, if using, in olive oil or coconut oil for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and chili powder, if using, and saute another minute or two.
  2. Add fish broth, tomatoes and potatoes. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender about 10-15 minutes.
  3. Add seafood, two lime wedges and half of cilantro and simmer until mussels open, if using, or until seafood is cooked, about 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, remove lime wedges but squeeze the juices into the soup. Season to taste with lime juice from remaining lime wedges and salt or fish sauce. Top with additional cilantro.

Recipe Notes

1. Always play around with different spice levels to find what you like. Personally, I prefer using a chili powder because I can add small amounts and then quickly add more to get my preferred spiciness. Or, if you can’t tolerate any spice, just leave it out entirely. Always adjust things to your personal tastes. But don’t let your personal tastes keep you from trying new things either!

 

2. You could use canned tomatoes here but it will make this more of a tomato-cilantro-lime soup. For that reason, I prefer fresh tomatoes.

 

3. Use any combination of the shrimp, mussels and fish you want. Or just use one of them. Add other seafood as well – squid, clams and different types of fish are perfectly suited as well.

Get More Simple Seafood Soups!

fearless broths and soups

In addition to the Spicy Cilantro Lime Seafood Soup, my new book, Fearless Broths and Soups includes recipes for:

  • Basic Cioppino
  • Basic Bouillabaisse
  • Thai Green Coconut Curry Seafood Soup
  • New England Clam Chowder
  • Mango Coconut Curry Mussels Soup
  • Korean Gochujang Seafood Soup
  • Burmese Mohinga
  • And many more!

Click here to find Fearless Broths and Soups on Amazon

Fresh fish, mussels, shrimp, chili peppers, cilantro and lime meld beautifully in this fish broth-based Peruvian-inspired spicy cilantro lime seafood soup.
Fearless Eating may receive commissions from purchases made through links in this article. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. More info here.
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About the Author

Craig Fear is the creator of Fearless Eating and the author of three books, The 30-Day Heartburn Solution, Fearless Broths and Soups and The Thai Soup Secret. After years helping clients with digestive issues, Craig decided to pursue writing full-time. He intends to write many more books on broths and soups from around the world! Click here to learn more about Craig.

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