Small, fatty sardines are an inexpensive source of beneficial omega-3 acids, as well as calcium, selenium, vitamin D, and phosphorus. They are affordable and easy to prepare. Fresh, frozen or canned sardines can be used to make a wide variety of dishes, including hot, aromatic soup.
A simple recipe for canned sardine soup
Canned sardines are a versatile product that does not require any additional processing. Soup from them is prepared very quickly, lentils and vegetables give it a satiety, and a bouquet of fresh herbs makes the homemade stew unusually fragrant.
You will need:
- 1 can of sardines canned in vegetable oil;
- 1 cup red lentils
- 4 tbsp. vegetable broth;
- 3 cherry tomatoes;
- 1 small onion head;
- 1 medium carrot;
- 1 stalk of celery
- 1 medium zucchini;
- 2 cloves of garlic;
- 2 tbsp. tablespoons of olive oil;
- 1 teaspoon of ground cumin seeds;
- ½ teaspoon of turmeric;
- ½ teaspoon of salt;
- a pinch of ground black pepper;
- a pinch of ground chili;
- 50 g fresh mint;
- 50 g fresh cilantro.
Peel vegetables. Dice the celery, zucchini and onion. Chop the carrots into thin slices. Pass the garlic through a press. Cut the tomatoes into quarters. In a wide, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the oil and sauté the onions until translucent, add the rest of the vegetables and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is tender. Add garlic, season vegetables with pepper, salt, caraway seeds and turmeric. Cook for about 2 more minutes, then pour in the broth and add the lentils and tomatoes. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Drain the sardine jar. Grind the fish into pieces and put in the soup. Cook until lentils are cooked through. Chop the herbs. Serve the chowder, garnish with a generous handful of herbs.
Italian sardine and bean soup
The generous Mediterranean Sea supplies the inhabitants of the coast with an abundance of fresh fish. Italian housewives love and know how to cook it, making no exception for such a delicious and cheap fish like sardines. For example, in Florence, soup is popular, for which you will need:
- 12 medium sardines filleted;
- 1 small head of red onion;
- 3 tbsp. tablespoons of olive oil;
- 3 fillets of canned anchovy;
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of pine nuts;
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of golden raisins;
- 2 cloves of garlic;
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of fennel seeds;
- 1 can of red beans, canned in their own juice;
- 1 loaf of ciabatta;
- 2 tbsp. tablespoons of chopped parsley.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Finely chop the onion and fry over medium heat until soft and translucent. Lightly brown the pine nuts in a dry skillet. Soak the raisins in boiling water, if necessary, and then squeeze out the excess liquid. Finely chop one garlic clove. Add garlic, raisins, pine nuts and fennel seeds to a saucepan and stir. Add the sardines and pour in just enough boiling water to cover them whole. Cover and cook over medium heat until fish is tender. Drain the canned beans and place them in the soup. Stir and heat.
While the chowder is cooking, cut the ciabatta into pieces for the number of servings you plan to serve. Fry in olive oil and rub with the remaining clove of garlic. Pour the chowder into bowls, place over a slice of toasted bread and sprinkle with chopped herbs.
Quick Sardine, Spinach and Tomato Soup
Sardines are sold canned not only in vegetable oil or their own juice, but also in tomato juice. And this is not a reason to give up soup, but quite the opposite - a reason to cook it! You will need:
- 1 can (about 150 g) canned sardines in tomato sauce;
- 3 cups vegetable or fish broth
- 1 large meaty tomato or ½ can of chopped canned tomatoes
- 1 tbsp. fresh greens of spinach (without stems);
- 1 head of onion;
- 3 cloves of garlic;
- 1 cup boiled jasmine rice
- 2 tbsp. tablespoons of vegetable oil;
- salt pepper.
Heat vegetable oil in a medium saucepan. Chop the onion into half rings, finely chop the garlic. Slice the tomato. Saute the onion and garlic until translucent, add the tomato and saute until tender. Place the sardines, break them into large pieces with a fork and stir the mixture. Pour in hot broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes. Add spinach, season with salt and pepper. Cook for about a minute, until the spinach is tender, while remaining green and dull. Arrange the rice on bowls, pour in the hot soup.
Thick Portuguese Sardine Chowder
The Portuguese are big fans of fish dishes. Of course, their special favorite is cod, but they do not ignore sardines either. To make a thick and flavorful Portuguese chowder, take:
- 1 kg fresh gutted sardines;
- 1 head of onion;
- 4 cloves of garlic;
- 1 hot red pepper;
- 2 bay leaves;
- 3 large ripe tomatoes;
- 200 ml of white wine;
- 200 ml of vegetable broth;
- 50 g fresh parsley;
- 150 ml of olive oil;
- 25 g fresh mint;
- salt and white pepper.
Chop the onion into thin half rings. Pass the garlic through a press. Boil water in a saucepan and lower the tomatoes one at a time for 10-15 seconds. Remove the skin from the tomatoes and cut the flesh into large chunks. Cut hot peppers into rings.
Put the gutted fillet in a bowl, sprinkle with coarse rock salt, tighten with cling film and leave for 2 hours.
Heat olive oil in a wide saucepan, sauté the garlic and onion until transparent. Rinse the fish fillets in cold water and place on top of the vegetables. Add tomatoes, hot peppers, bay leaves, chopped mint and parsley, add white wine, season with salt and bring to a boil over low heat. Add hot broth and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Season with white pepper and serve, adding boiled pounded potatoes to the stew if desired.
Japanese Style Sardine Soup
This light, exotic soup is made with white miso paste. Miso pasta is a traditional product that is easy to find in specialized departments or Oriental food shops. Other non-standard ingredients for this interesting soup are also sold there.
You will need:
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of white miso paste;
- 2 tbsp. spoons of sake;
- 2 teaspoons of potato starch;
- 8 medium sardines, filleted;
- a piece of ginger root 4-5 cm long;
- 1 chicken egg;
- 1 square of pressed kombu seaweed (with a side of 8-10 cm);
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of bonito flakes;
- 100 g tofu;
- 2 tbsp. Mirin spoons;
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of soy sauce;
- 5 white stalks of green onions;
- salt.
Place the sardine fillets in a food processor and mince. Peel and grate the ginger. Beat the egg lightly. Add potato starch, ginger, miso, sake, and beaten egg to the minced fish. Arrange and shape small meatballs well.
Place the seaweed in a saucepan and cover with 6 cups of distilled water. Let sit for 15-20 minutes, then put on fire and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, add bonito flakes (tuna shavings) and leave for about 5-10 minutes. Strain and return the broth back to the pot. Bring to a boil again, add and spoon the sardine meatballs into the broth. Don't stir! Cook until the balls float. Place the tofu diced into small cubes, add mirin and soy sauce, and the diagonally cut onion stalks. Serve immediately.
Step by step recipe for Thai sardine soup
Classic Thai soup can also be made with sardines. Traditional ingredients, aromatic broth, oriental culinary tricks - all together will give you an unusually tasty soup. Take:
- 2 cans of canned sardines in a spicy tomato sauce;
- 3 heads of shallots;
- 3 leaves of kaffir lime;
- 2 stems of lemongrass;
- 2 limes;
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of fish sauce;
- 400 g canned chopped tomatoes;
- ½ tbsp. chili flakes;
- ½ l chicken broth;
- 50 g fresh mint leaves.
Peel and chop the shallots, cut the lemongrass stems into pieces. Pour chicken broth into a saucepan, add shallots, kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass stems, bring to a boil, cover and turn off. Leave it on for 10-15 minutes for the aromas to blend and the taste to develop throughout. Squeeze the juice out of the limes, pour it along with the canned tomatoes into the soup, bring to a boil again. Add the sardines and sauce, heat, remove the kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass stems, pour into bowls and garnish with fresh mint leaves.
