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Seafood soup is a combination of delicious and nutritious. Seafood like clams and shrimps mixed with fish like cod is rich in vitamins, minerals, and elements that only the sea can offer.

This recipe is dedicated to seafood lovers, to the ones that can’t resist the temptation of the fine and creamy tastes. The seafood soup is a preparation that comes from the combination of several kinds of seafood, accompanied by a tasty broth and heavy cream for extra velvety creaminess. It is a typical dish of all seaside settlements, but each culture enriches the soup in its own way, favoring mussels, clams, shrimps, or octopus. The seafood soup can be served with much pride on holiday tables to surprise your loved ones with a marvelous looking soup and an exquisite taste.

Is seafood healthy to eat?

Absolutely! Seafood is rich in many beneficial properties, it is particularly recommended for those who need to increase the iron level in the blood. Here are some of the reasons you should introduce seafood to your diet:

They are rich in iron, magnesium, and calcium, essential minerals for our health.
Seafood is a source of vitamin B12, which is essential for having energy and feeling active.
All contain omega-3 fatty acids.
They provide vitamin A, which is important for eye health and vision.

Haven’t these arguments proven seafood worthy of your attention? Isn’t today the best time to make a homemade seafood soup? If you have never done it before, I will assist you, step by step. Therefore, stay connected to prepare your best seafood soup!

Ingredients for seafood soup

This seafood recipe is one of my favorites. Although it is not difficult to prepare it, you need to think of the ingredients ahead of time because the products involved are not from the “always-in-the-fridge” category. Therefore, make a shopping list and do your shopping. Moreover, it involves ingredients such as clams and shrimps, which have to be super fresh in order to obtain the most flavorful results.

To start, you will need clams, fresh clams, not frozen. Considering that it is a product not easily found on a common basis, it is best to plan a seafood soup dinner depending on the days the markets carry the freshest clams or whatever other seafood. When purchasing the clams, make sure they are still closed and whole.

Raw shrimps or prawns, also fresh, are needed for the seafood soup. Do not buy pre-cooked shrimps as they will harder too much. Instead of getting soft and juicy shrimp meat, you risk eating something similar to rubber. Pre-cooked shrimps are pink, you need the greenish ones.

Cod, the white-fleshed fish that is so soft and delicious is a must for the soup. Again, the fresh cod fillet will turn out into a better result than frozen cod. However, in case there’s only the frozen fish fillet available, let it thaw and use it.

Now gather the ingredients that best complement fish and seafood. These are the white dry wine such as pinot Griggio, heavy cream, fresh garlic cloves and onion, lemon, some cherry tomatoes, and green, fresh parsley. Can’t you feel the aroma already? I’m writing and salivating 🙂

To add character to the soup, use the old bay seasoning as it goes along perfectly with the sea creatures.

How to clean and cook the clams?

That’s the most challenging part of the seafood soup recipe. To begin with, pour the clams into a pot full of cold water and let it rest for about 10 minutes. In this time, the remaining sand and impurities will come off the surface of the clams. You might also use a brush to remove the sand. Drain the water and throw away the clams that are open, these, in fact, are no longer edible.

To properly cook the clams, put to boil a big pan filled with salted water. Once the water reaches the boiling point, add the clams, and let them cook for about 2-3 minutes of low heat. You may add some fresh parsley to the water so that the clams get more aroma. Finally, drain the clams and set aside, you will add them later in the seafood soup.

How to cook the seafood soup in the instant pot?

Turn on the instant pot, select the saute regime. Set the “low” program as you don’t want anything burnt. While the pot is preheating, peel the onion and the garlic cloves. Use a food processor to finely blend the vegetables. You can also use a sharp knife, but I like to save time. Pour 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil into the preheated instant pot and add in the minced onion and garlic. Sautee it for about 2-3 minutes or until translucent.

While the garlic and the onion are cooking, cube the cod fillet and add it to the instant pot. The fish cubes need about 4-5 minutes to saute to perfection. While the fish is getting done, prepare the shrimps. Wash and peel them, you can buy peeled shrimps to skip this step. Add the shrimps to the pot and let cook together with the cod cubes for about 3-4 minutes on medium heat or until the shrimps turn dull and pink. Chop and add the cherry tomatoes. Deglaze with the wine and cook for another 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.

Now it’s time to add the broth and the heavy cream. Honestly speaking I did not have any broth available, so I used hot boiled water and it works perfectly fine. Let the ingredients soak in well, simmer for additional 2-3 minutes.

During the last minutes of cooking, take the mollusks out of their shells, and keep some for decoration. Add them to the instant pot. Adjust the seasoning. Chop some fresh parsley and sprinkle on top. Turn off the instant pot. Your creamy seafood soup is ready.

How to serve seafood soup?

Grill the slices of bread and rub them with one or more cloves of garlic. Place a slice of bread in the bowl, pour the seafood soup and garnish with the clams in their shells. Enjoy