• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Dominican Cooking logo

  • START HERE
  • RECIPES
  • COOKERY
  • CULTURE
  • COOKBOOKS
  • ❤
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Start here
  • Recipes
  • Cookery
  • Culture
  • Cookbooks
  • Subscribe
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Main Dishes

    Our free content is supported via ads and affiliate links. Thanks!

    Sopa de Pescado (Traditional Fish Head Soup)

    Sopa de pescado (fish head soup) recipe.

    En Español Recipe ↆ

    This fish soup recipe makes a flavorful homemade sopa de pescado, one of those dishes that we can eat any month of the year, regardless of the weather. Frugal, comforting, filling, and surprisingly healthful, this is one of my favorite soups and now you can enjoy it too.

    Bowl of sopa de pescado (fish soup)
    Sopa de pescado (fish soup).

    JUMP TO: show ↓
    1. Why we ❤️ it
    2. Type of fish to use
    3. Serving suggestions
    4. Other variations
    5. About our recipe
    6. Video
    7. Recipe
    8. FAQs
    9. Other Latino fish soups

    Why we ❤️ it

    A steaming bowl of sopa de pescado (fish head soup) is supposed to "raise the dead", in the word of Dominican grandmas, and -according to old wives- it improved the "animos" (energy), helps in the quick recovery of lost strength, and restores the proper functioning of the female organs; and who knows what many other things.

    Old wives' tales aside, this is deservedly one of my favorite fish recipes.

    Type of fish to use

    If I had been completely honest, I should have called this recipe sopa de cabeza de pescado (fish head soup), because that was what the original soup was. Traditionally this soup is made with fish from grouper, or chillo, for example, as it is the most economical, but other fish heads could be used, like bass, and red snapper.

    Other choices, if you can't find those above are bass, halibut, fresh cod, or trout. If you do not want to use fish heads, you can use fillet only, in which case you do not need to strain the soup as instructed in the recipe.

    Sopa de pescado (fish soup).
    Sopa de pescado (fish soup).

    Fish head soup (sopa de pescado).

    Serving suggestions

    Generally, this soup is served alone. At most, we may serve some avocado slices with it (because we eat avocado with anything). At home, we may serve some warm rustic bread, but 9 times out of ten this recipe needs nothing else.

    Other variations

    While there are no two Dominicans that make fish head soup the same way, you may find that some may add onion to it (I find it overpowering). Some people may add some celery stalks chopped, or perhaps a bay leaf (to be removed before serving).

    I have never seen this soup with noodles, but it wouldn't surprise me if some people made it that way (let me know in the comments!).

    About our recipe

    Mami made this soup - as you have already deduced - with fish heads. The long cooking and the fish heads gave a lot of taste to the soup. No matter how much I try --I do not know if it is nostalgia or that my sense of taste does not lie to me-- without the heads, it is not the same. If you dare and are not afraid to use unusual ingredients, I give you in the recipe notes instructions to make my mother's authentic soup, and if not, then the uncomplicated modern version is also very good.

    If you have a different way how to make this caldo de pescado, I would love to hear it, let us know in the comments.

    ¡Buen provecho!

    Tia Clara

    Video

    Recipe

    This awesome free recipe contains Amazon affiliate links, we receive a small commission from any purchase you make at no extra cost to you. Thanks!

    Sopa de Pescado (Fish Soup)
    Keep screen on while cooking

    [Recipe + Video] Sopa de Pescado (Fish Soup)

    By: Clara Gonzalez
    Learn how to make our traditional sopa de pescado. a fish head soup recipe that is a light cheap, healthy, and delicious alternative to meat soups.
    5 from 8 votes
    Save for Later Send by Email Print Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Total Time 25 mins
    Course Dinner, Lunch
    Cuisine Caribbean, Dominican, Latino
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 282 kcal

    Ingredients

    • 1 ½ pound fish heads, [0.7 kg]
    • 2 tablespoon olive oil
    • Juice of 1 lime
    • 4 clove garlic, sliced
    • 1 cup auyama (kabocha squash), (West Indian pumpkin or kabocha squash), diced, divided
    • 2 sprigs of cilantro, or parsley
    • 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
    • 1 cup potatoes, peeled and diced
    • 1 pound fish fillet, [0.45 k] cut into small pieces
    • 1 ½ teaspoon salt, (or more, to taste)
    • 1 teaspoon pepper (freshly-cracked, or ground), (or to taste)

    Instructions
     

    • Scooping out fish bones from fish broth
      In a deep pot mix the fish head (see notes), olive oil, lime juice, garlic cloves, and half of the auyama. Pour in 2.5 quarts [2.5 liters] of water. Boil covered over medium-high heat until the auyama has dissolved and heads are cooked and flaky (25 to 35 minutes).
      Remove from the heat and sieve to discard the solids. You can return any large pieces of cheek meat to the broth if you wish to dig it out.
    • Ingredients for fish soup boiling in a pot
      Return the broth to the pot. Add cilantro, carrots, potato, and remaining auyama.
      Cook covered over medium-low heat until the vegetables are cooked through (about 10 minutes).
    • Adding fish to pot
      Add the fish fillet to the pot and cook until it is cooked through (5-10 minutes).
      In the end, you should have about half the liquid you started with, if it's too little, add some more water and heat through, if it's too much, simmer some more to reduce it. This is not a thick soup, the liquid has the consistency of broth.
    • Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and serve hot.

    Tips and Notes

    My mom did not strain the soup as in step 1, but I hate to find bones in it, so here I turn away from mami's recipe.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 282kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 32gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 136mgSodium: 1007mgPotassium: 824mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 6490IUVitamin C: 14.9mgCalcium: 66mgIron: 3.4mg

    Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.

    READERS SEARCHED FOR caldo de pescado, easy fish soup, fish head soup
    More recipes with: auyama, fish, potato, pumpkin, seafood

    FAQs

    Which fish head is good for soup?

    For this soup is preferable to use white meat fish, like snapper, grouper, or bass. If you cannot find any of these, a salmon head can be used, although the taste will differ.snapper

    Do you eat the head in fish head soup?

    The cheek. meat may be returned to the soup, but for the most part, bones and other solids are discarded.

    Other Latino fish soups

    • Try this Ecuadorian Biche by Laylita.
    • Or this Colombian Sopa de Pescado Recipe.

    Published Dec 20, 2003, revised Mar 3, 2023

    More Dominican Main Dishes for Every Occasion

    • Queso Frito (Easy Fried Cheese)
    • Pollo Guisado (Braised Chicken)
    • Pollo con Wasakaka (Garlic Chicken Roast)
    • Molondrones Guisados (Dominican Stewed Okra)
    Edited: Mar 3, 2023 | Publish: Apr 11, 2022

    ¡Hola! I am Tía Clara, your host. Thanks for visiting.
    - Any questions or comments about this?
    - Made our recipe? Follow and tag me on Instagram.
    - Subscribe to receive our recipes by email.

    Recipe Rating




    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    16 Comments
    Most Voted
    Newest Oldest
    Inline Feedbacks
    View all comments

    Primary Sidebar

    Tia Clara's Dominican Cooking
    is the oldest and largest Dominican cooking website, with a 20-year collection of traditional Dominican recipes, and recipes inspired in the Dominican cuisine.
    More about us ➜

    • Facebook page
    • Instagram account
    • Youtube channel
    • Pinterest account
    La Bandera Dominicana free ebook.

    Don't miss

    • Batida de Lechosa (Papaya Milkshake)
    • Dominican Bizcocho Cupcakes
    • Guineítos or Guineos en Escabeche (Savory Green Bananas)
    • Dulce de Leche Dominicano (Dulce de Leche Candy)

    Most popular Most recent

    Footer

    featured on

    Lee este contenido

    En Español

    SIGN UP and receive emails,
    updates, and surprises!

    Or follow us on

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Pinterest
    • Google News

    Made in 🇩🇴 with ❤️

    © 2022 · LUNCH CLUB BOOKS, LLC
    ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

    DO NOT reproduce without authorization.

    As Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. READ...


    ↑ BACK TO TOP | ABOUT US | BLOG | CONTACT US | WE GIVE | POLICIES | STORIES | PORTFOLIO

    wpDiscuz
    You are going to send email to

    Move Comment