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Spanish Fish and Rice Soup – A Rustic, Saffron-Infused Seafood Classic

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Spanish Fish and Rice Soup – a vibrant, saffron-infused Mediterranean soup loaded with tender cod, juicy shrimp, and Spanish round rice. The secret is a flavor-packed paste made from fried bread, garlic, saffron, and parsley. This hearty soup is pure comfort in a bowl!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 carrot, thinly sliced
  • 2 slices baguette, 1 inch thick
  • 5 cups fish broth
  • ½ cup Spanish round rice
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • ¼ tsp saffron threads
  • 1 lb cod fillets
  • 15 raw jumbo shrimp, peeled & deveined
  • Handful fresh parsley
  • Pinch sea salt
  • Dash black pepper

Instructions

  1. Dice onion, bell pepper, and carrot.
  2. Heat olive oil in a stock pot over medium heat.
  3. Fry baguette slices and garlic 2-3 minutes until golden; set aside.
  4. In same pot, sauté vegetables 4-5 minutes; season with salt & pepper.
  5. Add fish broth and thyme, bring to a boil; add rice, cover, reduce heat to low-medium, simmer 15 minutes.
  6. Blend fried bread, garlic, saffron, parsley, and pinch of salt into a paste; set aside.
  7. Pat cod and shrimp dry, season, cut cod into bite-sized pieces, shrimp in half.
  8. After rice simmers 15 minutes, stir in bread-garlic paste, then add cod; cover 2 minutes, add shrimp, cover 2-3 minutes until seafood is cooked.
  9. Serve in shallow bowls, garnish with chopped parsley, enjoy immediately.

Notes

  • Spanish round rice (such as Calasparra or Bomba) absorbs liquid beautifully without becoming mushy – Arborio rice can substitute.
  • Saffron is essential for authentic color and flavor – don’t skip it!
  • The fried bread-garlic paste (similar to a Spanish picada) thickens and flavors the soup.
  • Use high-quality fish broth for best results – homemade is ideal.
  • Add clams or mussels along with the shrimp for a more traditional seafood medley.
  • Do not overcook the seafood – shrimp should be pink and cod should flake easily.
  • Serve with crusty bread and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
  • Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 2 days (rice will continue to absorb liquid).

Find it online: https://cookyaura.com/spanish-fish-and-rice-soup-a-rustic-saffron-infused-seafood-classic/