30 Aug Traditional Peruvian Parihuela – Seafood soup
Here in Adelaide, as in Peru, we are in winter. So it is time to look after all your cozy clothes, but mainly go after those hearty and warm meals that keep you warm. So we were wondering what other soup can we do when we thought about our famous Peruvian Parihuela. A traditional dish on the coast during winter taht consists of soup made with fish stock and seafood.
This Peruvian seafood soup is served in most “cevicherias” in the wintertime. The main ingredients are a variety of seafood (mussels, prawns, clams, etc.), fish, aromatic spices, and a Peruvian chillies fish stock base. You will find different types of soup where the main ingredient is fish because Cecicheris will have a lot of fish heads and thorns to discard from the ceviches and tiraditos. I love this dish because it reminds me of the coastal regions of Peru.
The Parihuela soup is part of the vast Peruvian cuisine, such as Lomo Saltado, Escabeche de Pescado, Peruvian Ceviche, papa rellena, Causa, etc.
Ingredients:
- vegetable oil
- large onion
- minced garlic
- tomato diced and seedless
- Peruvian yellow chilli – “aji amarillo” paste
- Peruvian Panka chilli – “aji panca” paste
- oregano
- bay leaf
- Salt and black pepper
- white wine
- fish broth
- basa or cod fish fillets
- Squid
- prawns or shrimps
- scallops
- mussels
- lime juice
Make your fish stock from scratch with fish heads, thorns, salt, half-onion, garlic cloves, and water. Let it simmer for 30 minutes until you have a succulent broth. If you don’t have the time to make this delicious broth, buy fish stock.
First, fry the chopped onion and minced garlic in a drizzle of oil over medium heat (in a large deep pot) until they are translucent. Add the chopped tomatoes, the “aji amarillo” and “ají panca” paste, oregano and bay leaf. Cook for a few minutes to release all the flavours, and season them with salt and pepper. Keep moving the preparation with a wooden spoon constantly. Add the white wine, and as soon as it starts to simmer, turn the heat to a low temperature until the liquids evaporate. Add the fish stock and let it simmer; when it starts to simmer, add the pieces of fish, squids, scallops and mussels. Let it cook for 3-4 minutes. Drizzle with a bit of lime or lemon juice and serve hot.
Frequently asked questions:
Parihuela soup is a traditional Peruvian seafood soup that originated from the coastal regions of Peru. It’s a hearty and flavorful dish with fresh seafood, aromatic spices, and a chilli fish-based broth. The name “Parihuela” is believed to come from a type of net used by fishermen, symbolizing the mix of seafood used in the soup.
You can use a variety of seafood, but the most common ones are squid, shrimps, octopus, scallops, mussels and fish fillets. Ensure all the seafood is clean and deveined, and you don’t overcook it.
Yes, you can use the aji amarillo paste without any spiciness, where yu will have the flavour but not the hot feeling in your mouth. To do this, the aji amarillo must be adequately cleaned, discarding all the seeds and veins that make it very hot. I use it like that because my kid can’t tolerate spiciness, which is OK.
Parihuela soup is served as a main dish because you will eat at least one fish fillet and several seafood pieces with the soup.
The soup will stay good in an airtight container on the refrigerator for 1 day, but you can’t freeze it because the seafood will change consistency when you defrost it.
Yes, you can. Peruvian cuisine is all about mixing and fusing different things, so you can choose your favourite seafood to add or add some potatoes or cassava to make it more hearty.
You can use lime or lemon wedges on the side and some fresh cilantro leaves.
Traditional Peruvian Parihuela – Seafood soup
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Peruvian
Description
Parihuela is a traditional seafood soup that beautifully captures the flavours of the coastal regions of Peru. Loaded with various fresh seafood, aromatic chillies, and a fish base, this dish celebrates the ocean’s bounty. Follow this recipe to create a traditional Peruvian dish that will transport your taste buds to the shores of Peru to all the seafood lovers.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup of vegetable oil
- 1 red onion peeled and diced
- 1 teaspoon of minced garlic
- 2 tomatoes chopped and seedless
- 2 tablespoons of Peruvian yellow chilli – “aji amarillo” paste
- 2 tablespoons of Peruvian Panka chilli – “aji panca” paste
- 1 teaspoon of oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and black pepper
- 1/2 cup of white wine
- 6 cups of fish stock
- 6 basa or cod fish fillets
- 1 cup of Squid rings
- 500 grams of prawns or shrimp
- 12 scallops
- 12 mussels
- The juice of 1 lime
Instructions
- Clean all the seafood under running cold water. Devein the shrimps. Discard all the hair from the mussels. Cut the squid into rings.
- In a large pot on high heat, sautee the diced onions and garlic until they are translucent. Lower the heat to medium and add the tomatoes, ají amarillo paste, panka paste, oregano, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Keep moving constantly during the preparation, and add the wine. Let it simmer, and change the temperature to low heat until all the liquids evaporate. Pour the fish stock and let it simmer again. Add the raw fish, squids, mussels, shrimp, and scallops as soon as it starts simmering. Let it cook for 3 or 4 minutes until the seafood and fish are cooked, don;t overcook it because it will turn chewy.
- Serve this hearty and great parihuela with some lime juice and crusty bread.
Keywords: Peruvian Parihuela Soup, Seafood Soup, Parihuela tradicional,
Hi! I’m Valeria (aka Val) the photographer and recipe developer behind Canguro Criollo. My passion for food began when I was little at my home when everything will revolve around food and now I discover this new creative outlet of food photography. I wish you can follow my journey discovering unique ways of preparing Peruvian food abroad and some other family-friendly foods.
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