When the weather starts to cool or you’re just craving something warm and nourishing, Cod Fish Soup is the answer. This cozy, brothy soup is filled with tender chunks of cod, soft potatoes, and plenty of aromatic vegetables. It’s simple to make, flexible with ingredients, and just hearty enough to be comforting without feeling heavy.
This recipe is one of my personal favorites for a few good reasons: it comes together quickly, uses basic pantry and freezer staples, and still feels like a bowl of something special. Whether you’re using fresh cod or pulling a bag of frozen fish from the freezer, this dish is weeknight magic in a pot.
Why You’ll Love This Soup
- Quick and easy. A full pot of soup ready in under 45 minutes? Yes, please.
- Flexible. You can use whatever vegetables and white fish you have on hand.
- Freezer-friendly ingredients. Frozen cod works beautifully and makes this recipe perfect for last-minute meals.
- Comforting and nourishing. It’s a light, clean soup that still feels like a hug in a bowl.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s everything that goes into this flavorful soup:
- Butter or Oil: For sautéing the aromatics. I prefer butter for a touch of richness, but olive oil works well too.
- Aromatic Vegetables: Onion, carrot, celery, garlic, bell pepper, and jalapeño. These form the base of your flavor.
- Tomato & Tomato Paste: They add depth, sweetness, and just a bit of acidity to balance out the broth.
- Bay Leaves: Essential for that classic soup flavor.
- Water or Broth: Vegetable or fish broth is best, but plain water will do in a pinch.
- Potatoes: Any kind works — Yukon gold, russet, or red potatoes. Just peel if needed and cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Cod Fillets: Fresh or frozen, both work. No need to thaw frozen fish first — just chop carefully and add directly to the soup.
- Heavy Cream (Optional): Adds a velvety richness that rounds everything out without making the soup heavy.
- Fresh Herbs: Dill, green onions, parsley — these bring brightness and color to the final dish.
- Salt & Pepper: To taste.
How to Make Cod Soup
Sauté the Vegetables
In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter or heat the oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion, carrot, celery, garlic, bell pepper, and jalapeño. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 5–7 minutes until softened and fragrant.
Add Tomatoes & Tomato Paste
Stir in the chopped tomato, tomato paste, and bay leaves. Cook another 3–5 minutes to develop the base flavors.
Add Liquid & Potatoes
Pour in your water or broth. Add the chopped potatoes. Bring everything to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are just fork-tender.
Add Cod
Cut your cod into 2-inch pieces. Add it directly to the pot — no need to thaw if using frozen. Simmer for about 5–7 minutes (or 3–5 minutes for fresh cod), until the fish flakes easily.
Finish with Cream & Herbs
Turn off the heat and stir in a splash of heavy cream for richness. Add a big handful of fresh chopped herbs just before serving.
Tips for the Best Cod Soup
- No thawing needed: You can add frozen cod straight to the pot. Just be careful when chopping — use a sharp knife and cut safely.
- Use what you’ve got: Don’t have cod? Try trout, salmon, snapper, grouper, tilapia — even shrimp works well.
- Adjust the heat: Like it spicy? Keep the jalapeño seeds or add crushed red pepper. Prefer it mild? Use a poblano instead.
- Cream is optional: The soup is great with or without the cream — totally your call depending on the mood or what’s in the fridge.
Storage and Reheating
- To Store: Keep leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3–5 days.
- To Reheat: Warm gently on the stovetop or microwave individual bowls. Just heat until warm — avoid boiling again to keep the fish tender.
- Freezing: Not recommended. Potatoes get mushy and cod can become tough once thawed and reheated.
Final Thoughts
Cod Fish Soup is one of those humble meals that sneaks up on you with how good it is. It’s warming, wholesome, and just the thing when you need dinner to come together fast without sacrificing comfort. I love how adaptable it is — whether you’re using up pantry vegetables, frozen fish, or adding your favorite herbs, this soup makes it work. It’s not flashy, but it’s the kind of recipe you’ll reach for again and again, especially on chilly nights or when you just need something cozy and satisfying.
Give it a try, and don’t forget some crusty bread for dipping — you’ll want to soak up every last spoonful.
Cod Fish Soup
When the weather starts to cool or you’re just craving something warm and nourishing, Cod Fish Soup is the answer.
Ingredients
- 1 large onion (finely chopped)
- 1 carrot (peeled and grated/shredded)
- 1 celery stalk (finely chopped)
- ½ sweet bell pepper (finely chopped)
- ½ poblano pepper (finely chopped)
- salt (ground black pepper, to taste)
- 1 - 1 ½ Tablespoons butter or oil
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste OR 1-2 fresh tomatoes (seeded and chopped)
- 2-4 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1-2 dry bay leaves
- 8-10 cups water
- 3 medium potatoes (peeled and chopped)
- 1 ½ lbs fish (fresh or frozen (salmon, cod or shrimp))
- ½ cup heavy cream (optional)
- 1-2 Tablespoons fresh herbs (dill, green onions, parsley, etc)
Instructions
- Prep all the vegetables.
- In a dutch oven or a large pot, heat the butter or oil until hot, adding the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, sweet bell pepper, jalapeno pepper. Cook on medium heat for 5-7 minutes, seasoning with salt and ground black pepper to taste, until the vegetables have softened.
- Add the fresh tomato, tomato paste, and dry bay leaves. Mix to combine and continue cooking for another 3-5 minutes.
- Pour in the water or broth, adding the potatoes also, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes have cooked through, about 15 minutes.
- Cut the cod into approximately 2 - inch pieces. Add the cod at the very end, when the rest of the vegetables are completely cooked through.
- You can use both fresh or frozen fish. If the fish is frozen, you can add it into the soup without thawing it; it will thaw and cook through in the soup. If using frozen fish, cook for about 5-7 minutes, and 3-5 minutes if using fresh/defrosted fish.
- Pour in the heavy cream off the heat, if using. Garnish with fresh herbs.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 224Total Fat 13gSaturated Fat 7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 30mgSodium 275mgCarbohydrates 26gFiber 3gSugar 5gProtein 4g
Easy Shrimp Recipes.com, occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although allchickenrecipes.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
