Fish Soup 🍲 Serbian Style 🇷🇸 (Riblja Čorba)
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Description
Classic Serbian river-fish soup—clear yet robust, with paprika warmth and soft flakes of fish in a brick-red broth. 🌶️🐟
Hook: One pot, big flavor—paprika-bloomed broth ready in under an hour. ⚡
Ingredients
- 🐟 Fresh river fish (carp/catfish), bone-in chunks: 900 g (2 lb)
- 🧅 Onion, finely chopped: 200 g (1⅓ cups / 7 oz)
- 🥕 Carrot, small dice: 100 g (¾ cup / 3.5 oz)
- 🌿 Celery stalk, small dice: 60 g (½ cup / 2.1 oz)
- 🧄 Garlic, minced: 8 g (2 cloves / 0.3 oz)
- 🫗 Sunflower oil: 30 ml (2 tbsp / 1 fl oz)
- 🌶️ Sweet paprika: 12 g (1 tbsp / 0.4 oz)
- 🌶️ Hot paprika or chili flakes (to taste): 1–2 g (¼–½ tsp / 0.04–0.07 oz)
- 🍅 Tomato passata (or crushed tomatoes): 300 ml (1¼ cups / 10 fl oz)
- 🌿 Bay leaves: 2
- 🧂 Salt: to taste (≈8 g / 1½ tsp)
- ⚫ Black pepper, ground: 1 g (½ tsp / 0.04 oz)
- 💧 Water or light fish stock: 1.5 l (6 cups)
- 🍋 White wine vinegar or lemon juice (finish): 10 ml (2 tsp / 0.34 fl oz)
- 🌿 Parsley, chopped (garnish): 1 tbsp (4 g / 0.14 oz)
Preparation
- 1️⃣ Base: Warm oil in a pot. Sauté onion, carrot, and celery with a pinch of salt 6–8 min until soft. Add garlic 30 sec.
- 2️⃣ Bloom & color: Stir in sweet (and hot) paprika 30 sec, then add passata; simmer 2 min.
- 3️⃣ Broth: Pour in water/stock, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil; cook 10 min.
- 4️⃣ Fish: Add fish pieces; simmer lightly 15–18 min until just cooked and starting to flake. Skim foam; adjust salt.
- 5️⃣ Finish: Off heat, stir in vinegar/lemon for brightness. Rest 5 min. Serve sprinkled with parsley and crusty bread.
Total Time
🕒 Prep: 15 min
🔥 Cook: 35 min
⏳ Total: 50 min
Nutritional Value
🔋 Energy: ~210 kcal
💪 Protein: ~24 g
🧈 Fat: ~9 g
🍞 Carbohydrates: ~8 g
🧂 Sodium: ~640 mg
Advice
Keep the simmer gentle once the fish goes in—rolling boils break the fillets and cloud the broth.
Why it works
Bloomed paprika unlocks fat-soluble aromas; tomato adds body and color; a splash of acid at the end sharpens flavors and balances the rich fish stock.
Twist
Mixed fish: Combine carp with pike or perch for layered flavor.
Spicy Bačka: Add 1 tsp more hot paprika and a minced fresh chili.
No-tomato: Skip passata and use more paprika for a clear, brick-red broth.
Status
Steam, spice, and river vibes—Riblja Čorba that tastes like a Danube tavern. #grannyzen #balkansoup 🐟🍲
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