Fish Soup with Tahini

We prefer to use whole fish for this soup, but you can also use fish filets. It will, however, result in a less flavorful bouillon. The choice of fish can vary according to the catch.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs whole fish, cleaned and scaled
- 8 cups cold water
- 1 handful parsley stems
- 1 handful fennel stems
- 1 tsp pepper
- ½ tsp fennel seed
- 1 tsp thyme
- 4 Tbsp quinoa
- 2 carrots
- 1 fennel bulb
- 2 onions
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- ½ cup tahini
- 4 cloves garlic, grated fine
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 lemons
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- Fennel leaves for garnish
Method
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1
Rinse fish in running water. Place in a large pot with water, parsley and fennel stems. Bring to a boil, the reduce heat. Simmer on low until the fish is cooked, 15-20 minutes.
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2
Meanwhile, grind spices and dice vegetables.
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3
Remove fish and stems when fish is cooked. Add quinoa to the pot and cook for 10 minutes, then add vegetables and ground spices. Cook for 10 minutes more.
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4
Shred fish meat with two forks and set aside. Place tahini and grated garlic in a bowl and incorporate enough bouillon with a whisk to make a creamy liquid.
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5
Incorporate the tahini mixture to soup and remove from heat. Salt and pepper to taste. Add the shredded fish meat. Grate lemon zest and juice 2 lemons. Add to the soup with olive oil. Stir well and garnish with fennel leaves.
A variation of the Harira from The Spice Trekkers Cook at Home