Crisp kale and fish chunks cooked in a non-dairy smooth and creamy potato soup with aromatic yellow Indian curry powder, fresh ginger, garlic, and jalapenos for a kick, and fresh lemon juice for a boost of freshness making a delicious potato coconut curry fish soup.
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Cozy for Chilly Nights
Warm your soul from the inside out with this Creamy Potato Coconut Curry Fish Soup recipe! Taste the tender flakes of white fish in a silky smooth potato coconut curry broth. Fill the kitchen with the fragrance of yellow Indian curry powder, fresh ginger, and garlic while a taste of the chili pepper adds a subtle kick.
Thanks to a squeeze of fresh lemon, every spoonful feels refreshing, leaving you wanting more. This isn't just any soup; It's cozy enough for chilly nights yet light and invigorating for lunch, making it perfect for any occasion. It's ideal for the soup season but so delicious that you'll crave it year-round.
Plus, it's surprisingly simple to make, so ditch the takeout menus, and let's get in the kitchen!
Try These Other Delightfully Satisfying Meals:
- Air Fryer Branzion with Lemon Potatoes and Vegetables
- Vegetarian Ras El Hanout White Bean and Kale Soup
- Creamy Spicy Sweet Potaote Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients
First, we make the aromatic paste by blending fresh garlic, ginger, onion, celery, jalapeno chunks, and cilantro. Then, you will cook the paste to melt the flavors together. Add the Yukon gold potato chunks, organic coconut milk, clam juice, low-sodium vegetable broth, and kosher salt to make the soup base, and simmer.
Then, when the potatoes are tender, blend the mixture and add the Indian yellow curry powder, fresh shredded kale, and white fish chunks. Add a splash of freshly squeezed lemon juice and fragrant fresh basil to balance the creamy potato and coconut broth when the fish is nice and tender.
Voila, this gourmet and simple soup is ready!
See the fragrant coconut fish soup recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Follow the instructions and cooking tips below using the step-by-step picture guide.
First, to build the soup flavor, sweat the aromatic paste to melt, infuse, and get rid of the raw ginger and garlic taste.
Cooking the potatoes in the coconut milk broth with vegetable broth and clam juice helps create that desired balance of the fish broth without being too fishy.
If using an immersion blender, crush the potato chunks before blending, or use a blender to make that creamy potato soup without the need for dairy.
The soup will thicken; you do not want it to be too thick; at this point, you can add vegetable broth to create the desired thickness. Note: Yukon gold potatoes are less starchy than russet potatoes, hence their use in this recipe.
Ingredients take longer to cook in thick broths; cover to allow the kale to cook and prevent the broth from getting any thicker.
Adding the fish last helps prevent overcooking it since it only takes a few minutes.
Gently stir in the fresh lemon juice and basil to prevent the fish chunks from breaking up.
Busy Folks - Become a better home cook with cooking tips to help you cook more efficiently on Cook's Notebook tab. In addition, some related detailed steps can be found there. Learn more about prepping fish.
Substitutions
Dairy Free
- This delicious creamy soup is already dairy-free, thanks to creamy coconut milk.
Gluten-Free
- Bonus! This delicious recipe is already gluten-free.
Vegetarian
- Tilapia Fish Fillets - Use extra firm tofu, jackfruit, or banana blossoms. Watch Tabitha use banana blossoms as a substitute for fish.
- Clam Juice - Replace with low-sodium vegetable broth and add crushed nori seaweed.
Convenience
- 1-inch Ginger & Garlic Cloves - Replace with the paste version, which will be milder in flavor. Find the ginger and garlic paste combination at your local Asian markets.
- Yukon Gold Potatoes - If you have russet potatoes in your pantry instead, you can use them as a substitute. It tends to be more starchy; just use ¾ of what the recipe asks for.
- Kale - Substute with spinach or your favorite greens; some require different cooking times.
- Clam Juice - Try using a splash of fish sauce or fish stock.
- Lettuce - instead of ice berg lettuce, you can use romaine lettuce or spinach
- Bun - use gluten free buns instead of white bread buns to make this gluten free
- Vegetarian - the beef hamburger can be replaced with a plant-based burger to make this vegetarian
Change Heat Level - Modify the recipe's heat level to your liking and learn more about the Scoville Scale and Chili Pairings. For example, try using substitutes like red pepper chili flakes or cayenne pepper, but these peppers will change the characteristics of the soup.
Variations
- Red Coconut Curry Soup - Instead of using Indian curry powder, try adding Thai Red Curry Paste for a burst of deliciousness! You will only need a tablespoon of paste to replace a tablespoon of the curry powder.
- Orange Coconut Curry Soup - Trying using sweet potatoes instead of Yukon gold.
Equipment
- Food Processor - Used for blending the aromatics into a paste. If you do not have one, you can buy some ingredients as paste or finely chop them. Or leave them whole since they will be blended with the potatoes and broth. For this recipe, I used the KitchenAid 3.5 Cup Food Chopper; it also conveniently has a pouring spout for making homemade dressings and mayonnaise or aioli.
- Dutch Oven - Since the broth will be thick, use a heavy bottom pot, like an enameled Dutch oven. I used the Lodge 6 Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven. However, you can also use a large pot or a large saucepan.
- Immersion Blender - An immersion blender is a convenient way to blend soups without removing them from the pot or make quick dressings, mayonnaise, or aioli. I use both the KitchenAid Cordless Variable Speed Hand Blender and the restaurant-trusted Vitamix Professional-Grade Series 750 Blender for my recipes. For a lower price, Amazon also has the Renewed Premium, refurbished line, Professional-Grade Vitamix Explorian Blender, for half the cost.
Kitchen Must Haves - Find other tools I use here.
Storage
- Refrigerator - To store the potato coconut curry fish soup in the fridge, place it in a shallow 2-inch container to cool it down quickly. Then, store it in an airtight container. As a result, the meal will last up to two days.
- Freezer - Follow the refrigeration process mentioned above. Then, place it in the freezer in a labeled, airtight container.
Air Tight Food Containers - I use Glass Food Storage Containers with a plastic clipping lid to store food. For example, I always suggest glass storage containers since you can microwave them and hold food without staining the container, and the glass keeps them at a more stable temperature, which keeps the food fresher longer.
Cooking Tip
Don't Forget the Lemon - The lemon's acidity works in two ways: 1. It brightens the flavors, cutting through the creamy richness and adding a refreshing zing. 2. It activates taste buds, making all the delicious notes in your soup pop on your tongue! Just like when you squeeze it on fish or fresh salad greens.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yukon potatoes are right in the middle of being waxy and starchy potatoes. They were developed in the 1960s by Garnet Johnston of Ontario, Canada, at the University of Guelph, providing benefits from both sides to have the most flavorful and creamiest soups.
Soup Recipes
Looking for other soup recipes like this? Try these:
- Bold and Spicy Caribbean Beef Noodle Soup Recipe Twist
- Instant Pot Spicy Beef Barley Stew: Hearty Comfort
- Easy Spicy Lemon Calabrian Chili Chicken Orzo Soup
- Scotch Bonnet Smoked Turkey Collard Greens Beans Soup
Seafood Recipes
Looking for other seafood recipes like this? Try these:
- Healthy Haitian-Style Creole Spicy Shrimp Pasta
- Seared Snapper Spicy Creole Sauce and Roasted Vegetables
- Sesame Seed-Crusted Ahi Tuna with Spicy Sesame-Soy Sauce
- Grilled Shrimp Garlic Jalapeno Butter and Cilantro Lime Rice
Video
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📖 Recipe
Best Fragrant Creamy Potato Coconut Curry Fish Soup
Ingredients
Aromatic Paste
- 1- inch ginger
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 medium onion
- 2 celery ribs
- 1 medium jalapeno
- ½ cup cilantro leaves
Rest of the Soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large Yukon gold potato
- 1 can of full-fat coconut milk
- 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 cup clam juice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 4 cups kale shredded or chopped
- 4 tilapia fillets
- ½ of a lemon
- ½ cup basil leaves
Equipment
Instructions
- Save time in the kitchen: Read the instructions thoroughly, then gather and prep all your ingredients before cooking! Learn Prepping Tips.
- Make the Aromatic Paste: Scrap or peel the ginger's thin skin and garlic with a spoon or knife. Cut the onion, celery, jalapeno, and ginger into chunks. Then, blend them with the cilantro in a food processor.
- Cook the Aromatic Paste: Heat oil in a Dutch oven on medium heat and cook the aromatic paste for 5 minutes to remove the raw taste of the ginger and garlic. While the paste cooks, peel and cut the potato into medium chunks.
- Make the Soup Base: Add the potato chunks, coconut milk, clam juice, vegetable broth, and salt. Then, cover, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a simmer. Cook the potatoes until fork tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Prepare the Fish: While the soup simmers, pat dry the fish fillets with paper towels and cut them into even chunks.
- Blend the Soup: Remove from the heat. When the soup is not bubbling, puree the soup. If using an immersion blender, smash the potato chunks with the blender before turning it on. If using the blender, start on low with a cover with a whole for escaping steam.
- Finish the Soup: Return the pot to the stove and heat just below medium. Add the curry powder and kale and simmer for 3 minutes to break down the kale. If necessary, adjust thickness and taste by adding warm water and salt.
- Add the fish chunks and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. While the fish cooks, tear the basil leaves and set them aside. Then, add the lemon juice and basil. Taste again for salt and serve.
Video
Nutrition
Food Safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat to prevent foodborne illness from contaminated uncooked meats.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat to prevent cross-contamination.
- Don't leave food at room temperature for extended periods; this can breed bacteria.
- Never leave cooking food unattended to prevent burns and fires.
- Use oils with a high smoke point to avoid harmful compounds.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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