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Seafood Minestrone Soup

Source of Recipe

rdj
Seafood Minestrone Soup

2 pounds crab leg/meat or
...fresh small clams
1/2 pound white fish fillets
12 quarts water
1 cup salt
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 medium onions, finely chopped (1 cup)
1 small fennel bulb, finely chopped (1 cup)
1-1/4 cups fish stock or bottled clam juice
1 recipe Bouquet Garni (recipe below)
1 1/4 cups finely chopped carrot or
...1 medium zucchini, finely chopped
2 medium chopped tomatoes 1 cup)
1 medium red sweet pepper, finely chopped (3/4 cup)
2 ounces fresh green beans, finely chopped (2/3 cup)
1 recipe Pistou (recipe below)
1 3/4 pounds sea or bay scallops, rinsed and
...thinly sliced,
...or 1 pound fresh mussels
1/3 cup broken dried vermicelli or spaghetti (1 ounce)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Fresh basil (optional)

If using clams, rinse in cold running water.
In a large kettle, combine 4 quarts of the water and
1/3 cup of the salt. Add clams and soak for 15 minutes.
Drain and rinse thoroughly; drain. Repeat two more times,
draining shellfish in a colander the third time. Rinse
kettle and shellfish thoroughly.

Place a rack for steaming in a kettle or Dutch oven;
place clams on the rack. Pour wine over the shellfish.
Bring to boiling. Cover and steam for 3 to 5 minutes
or until shells open, and clams are cooked. Remove
shellfish and rack from cooking liquid, reserving
liquid.
Discard any shellfish with unopened shells. Remove
shellfish from shells. Set aside.

In a Dutch oven, combine fish stock or bottled clam juice, onions,
fennel, and Bouquet Garni. Strain the reserved shellfish cooking liquid
into the pan. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 5
minutes. Add carrots, tomatoes, red pepper, and green beans; cook for 5
minutes more or until the vegetables are just tender.

Meanwhile, prepare the Pistou.

Add vermicelli to vegetable-stock mixture. Cover and simmer for about
7 to 8 minutes or until vermicelli is tender, but still firm. Remove
Bouquet Garni.

Stir in sea legs, white fish and scallops. Simmer.
Reduce heat and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes until scallops
and white fish are opaque and firm. Stir in the steamed
clams, if using, and the Pistou. Heat through.
Season with salt and black pepper. Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with fresh basil, if you like.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Bouquet Garni:
Tie 1 sprig fresh parsley
1 sprig fresh thyme and
1 bay leaf in a 100% cotton cheesecloth bag.

Pistou:
In a blender container or food processor bowl, combine
1 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
3 tablespoons butter, softened and
1 clove garlic, halved.
Cover and blend or process until mixture is nearly
smooth, stopping as necessary and pushing mixture down
sides of container.

Nutrition facts per serving:
calories: 428, total fat: 14g, saturated fat: 6g
cholesterol: 115mg, sodium: 1423mg, carbohydrate: 24g
fiber: 9g, protein: 48g, vitamin A: 48%, vitamin C: 84%
calcium: 27%, iron: 64%