Bourride Provençale with Aïoli

I love soups… either hot or cold! In most cases, they’re easy to make, can be loaded with nutrients and vitamins 💚 plus they’re versatile. During the winter, a nice hot bowl of soup is very soothing while during the summer, a cold one is incredibly refreshing!
 
Until we get to warmer weather, we still enjoy soup! In early spring, I make “lighter” recipes like Thai Coconut Shrimp, Hot & Sour, Avgolemono Chicken Soup, Cream of Mushroom 🍄, West Coast Smoked Salmon Chowder, and others, including this one… Bourride Provençale with Aïoli!
 
This fish soup is packed with yumminess! There’s a nice array of vegetables and seasonings that make this French recipe so amazing! With the added Aïoli, it gives a nice rich and creamy garlicky 🧄 flavor to this classic!
 
There’s no right or wrong when it comes to the choice of fish 🐟 as long as it’s white. Depending where you’re form, it can be anything from cod, turbot, halibut, mackerel, monkfish, sea bass, etc. After the fillets are well-seasoned, they’re cut into 2-inch pieces so they all cook evenly.
 
When I make 👩‍🍳 my Bourride Provençale with Aïoli, I like pouring in some dry white wine! If you’re worried about using alcohol in dishes, did you know that most of it will evaporate? That’s right! The longer you cook it, the more it burns off! If you still don’t want to use any, substitute vegetable broth.
 
A point I would like to highlight when using white or red wine 🍷 is to use something you like. You don’t need to spend a lot of money. If you can’t stand the taste of it when drinking it, don’t expect to enjoy it when using it in a dish. The wine’s flavors will still be there…
 
Another typical vegetable that is in this soup is potato 🥔. I prefer using Yukon Gold because they hold their shape but red potatoes are another alternative. An additional one to consider is French fingerling potatoes and if you decide to use them, simply cut them in half.
 
Piment d’Espelette?
Yes, this French spice is not so common here in North America 🌎. For those of you who don’t know what it is, it’s a type of red chili pepper from the Basque region that is ground. Its best substitute is cayenne pepper. If using it instead, cut the amount in half.
 
Clam juice is another ingredient that goes in. The 8-ounce bottle can be found at any supermarket 🛒. On the other hand, you can always use a dozen fresh baby clams instead. I prefer using the juice because it’s more concentrated and I can really savour the taste in the background.
 
Everybody makes mistakes…
I wasn’t paying attention and, in the video 🎥, I added the Aïoli before tempering it. I was lucky it didn’t separate! Technically, it has to be tempered prior to being added to the mixture by pouring the hot fish liquid, in a slow stream, into it, whisking continuously before adding more until the garlic sauce is tempered.
 
Bourride Provençale with Aïoli is a lovely one-pot, comfort food to enjoy this Spring! It’s a healthy main course to serve along with crusty bread or crostini! You can keep some extra Aïoli to spread on your bread 🍞… it’s delightful!
Bon Appétit!🍽
 
Check out these other great soup recipes…😀
– Pasta e Fagioli (Pasta Fazool)
– Cauliflower Cheese Soup
– Wonton Soup
– Split Pea & Ham Soup
– Kartoffelsuppe • German Potato Soup
– Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup
– Cream of Celery Soup
– Bay Scallop Chowder
– Best Beef Borscht
and for even more soup & chowder recipes 🥣, click on this link… Recipe Category • Soups & Chowders
 

 
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Bourride Provençale with Aïoli

Satisfying and comforting, this French Bourride Provençale with Aïoli is so tasty! With flavorful ingredients, this is a great meal to make!

4.86 from 7 votes

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Servings 4

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Passive Time 0 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 to 2 1/2 lbs. white fish fillets such as cod, halibut, monkfish, etc., patted dry and cut into 2-inch pieces
• ground Himalayan pink salt, to taste and divided
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste and divided (I always use mixed peppercorns)
• 6 stems parsley, leaves reserved for garnish tips & tricks
• 1 tsp. fennel seeds
• 1 large bay leaf
• 2 tbsp. olive oil tips & tricks
• 2 leeks (about 3 cups), white parts only and diced tips & tricks
• 1/2 cup yellow onions, diced
• 1/2 cup celery, diced tips & tricks
• 1/2 cup carrots, diced
• 2 large cloves garlic, pressed
• 3 large plum tomatoes (about 1 1/4 cups), seeded and diced tips & tricks
• 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
• 2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and diced into 3/4-inch pieces
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth (substitute fish stock)
• 1 tsp. piment d'Espelette, or to taste Footnote
• 1 cup (8 oz./236 ml) clam juice (susbtitute 1 dozen baby clams)
• 1/3 cup Aïoli see Recipe

Directions

 

• After patting them dry, generously season fish fillets with salt and pepper. Cut fillets into 2-inch pieces and set aside.
• Make bouquet garni…

  Place parsley stems in a sachet or the center of a cheesecloth along with fennel seeds and bay leaf. Tie up the bag and make a knot or gather the sides of cheesecloth and tie it up with kitchen twine; set aside.
• In a Dutch oven over medium, heat oil. Add leeks, onions, celery and carrots; season with sea salt. Cook veggies for 10 minutes, stirring often.
• Add pressed garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, white wine and season with black pepper. Stir well and cook until the liquid has reduced by half.
• Add potatoes, chicken broth, bouquet garni and piment d’Espelette. Stir and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce back to medium and cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
• Pour in clam juice and add seasoned fish fillet pieces; push down to submerge the fish. Turn the heat to high and when it just starts bubbling, turn back to medium and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile make the Aïoli...
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer fish pieces to a plate, remove the bouquet garni and discard it.
• Check if potatoes are tender – if not, cook for 2 minutes longer.
• Temper the garlic sauce by pouring in some of the hot fish liquid, in a slow stream, while whisking continuously before adding more until the Aïoli is tempered.
• Add it to the mixture and whisk until well incorporated
• Spoon soup in warm bowls, place a few fish pieces on top (and clams if using them), garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve with crostini or crusty bread.

Notes

Footnote: Substitute cayenne pepper but only add 1/2 tsp. instead of 1 tsp.

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