Peanut Butter Fish Soup

The photo is not very glamorous.  I had an inexplicable desire to use peanut butter with fish.  This idea evolved into soup form after a long walk in the freezing cold weather.  Why is it so cold?  I'm way more sensitive to the weather this year than last.  I shouldn't be complaining.  My People are dealing with a Hurricane in NY.  This soup did warm my bones, though.

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

1 onion, diced

1 carrot, diced

1 branch of celery, diced

1 small can of corn

1 cube frozen spinach

4 large florets broccoli

4 large florets cauliflower

1 handful frozen peas

2 large filets cod or other white fish, cubed

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 pinch cumin

1 pinch cayenne pepper

1 large Tbsp peanut butter

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 handful chopped celery leaves

sacrifice of 1/2 of your happy hour beverage (beer)

1 tsp soy sauce (or GF alternative) (wtf who invited that guy?)

salt/fresh ground pepper

some EVOO

water

Wow that is a large list of ingredients.  I didn't plan this, it just came together magically while sipping on my Heiny and deciding I would rather be drinking a microbrewed dark beer.

Directions:

1.  In a large pot, sweat the onions in the EVOO.  Add the carrots and cook a while, stirring.

2.  Add the cayenne, cumin and fennel seeds.  Lean in and smell that.  Nice, isn't it?

3.  Add the broccoli and cauliflower and stir until nicely colored.  If it starts to stick to the bottom, that's your sign to pour in the beer you will no longer be drinking.

4.  Add the spinach, corn, and celery.  Add water to level.  Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer.

5.  Add the peanut butter and soy sauce and stir until it is absorbed.  Taste and adjust seasoning.  Find a piece of carrot.  If it is tender, continue to step 6.  If it is not, keep simmering.

6.  Add the fish, peas, cream, and celery leaves.  Simmer for 5 minutes maximum.  Do not overcook the fish, you will spoil all the fun.

Serve with some red pepper flakes for heat.

I enjoyed this mix of flavors.  I don't know why I added soy sauce, but it worked well.  I think I was going for some sort of fish chowder at first and then the peanut butter made me think of Thai, but in the end everybody (meaning me, for I am the only soup eater in my Pack) turned out happy with the result..

Effervescence...