🇮🇹 Italian · Soup
🐟 Zuppa di Pesce alla Siciliana
Zuppa di Pesce alla Siciliana
Sicily's own bright, tomato-forward fish soup, mixed seafood simmered with garlic, chili, and fresh mint, a coastal classic distinct from the more restrained brodetti found further north.
This Sicilian fish soup leans into bolder, more assertive flavors than its northern Adriatic cousins, with fresh mint providing a distinctive herbal brightness alongside the classic garlic and chili base found across much of southern Italian seafood cooking.
Ingredients
Equipment: Large wide pot
- 1.5 kg (3.3 lb) mixed fish and shellfish (such as grouper, mussels, shrimp, squid)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 dried chili, crumbled
- 600 g (1.3 lb) canned crushed tomatoes
- 150 ml (⅔ cup) dry white wine
- 800 ml (3¼ cups) fish stock or water
- 100 ml (scant ½ cup) extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh mint and parsley, chopped
- Toasted bread, for serving
- Salt, to taste
Method
- Clean and prepare all the seafood, cutting larger pieces into manageable portions.
- Warm the olive oil in a large wide pot and sauté the onion, garlic, and chili until fragrant.
- Add the wine and let it reduce slightly.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes and fish stock, and bring to a simmer.
- Add the seafood in stages according to cooking time, starting with firmer varieties like squid and grouper.
- Add quicker-cooking shellfish like mussels and shrimp in the final 5–8 minutes.
- Season to taste and finish with fresh mint and parsley.
- Serve hot with toasted bread alongside.
Chef Tips
- Add the seafood in stages based on cooking time so nothing ends up over- or under-cooked.
- Fresh mint is what distinguishes this specifically as a Sicilian preparation — don't substitute dried, which lacks the same bright quality.
- A genuine variety of seafood gives the broth its full, rounded character.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Adding all the seafood at once, resulting in uneven cooking.
- Skipping the fresh mint, which is a defining, distinctive element of this specific regional version.
- Using a thin, underseasoned tomato base that doesn't stand up to the seafood.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- An excellent source of lean protein and omega-3 fatty acids from the varied seafood.
Cultural Note
Zuppa di pesce alla Siciliana reflects the island's bold coastal cooking tradition, its use of fresh mint setting it apart from similar fish soups found elsewhere along Italy's coastline.
Storage & Serving
Storage: Best eaten fresh; seafood soup does not keep or reheat well.
Reheating: Not recommended; the seafood toughens significantly.
Serve with: Toasted bread, A chilled Sicilian white wine