Salmon Soup

I think that soup is just about the easiest thing to cook. Everything gets chopped up and tossed to cook in a liquid. It is only the about what to chop in there and what liquid to use. Like I was saying in my previous post, Keta Salmon was on sale and the large fish went a long way and was used in 3 different dishes.
The bones and skin were used in the stock, that was used as a base for the soup the next day. The head of the fish makes for a rich stock and in Asian supermarkets  it can often be purchased  by itself. The fish that I got was headless so it made for less stock in volume.
To the large pot I added the skin and bones of the salmon,
1 large onion
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 celery rib
1 carrot
1 bay leaf
10 pepper corns
salt
several sprigs of fresh baby dill and parsley
and enough water to cover the fish and the vegetables. Stock will feel richer if there is fish head and a lot of bones and somewhat lighter if there is more water added and not as many bones. The stock is brought to a boil and turned to low simmer immediately after. Watching the stock and not allowing it to over boil will insure clear and not cloudy soup. The stock is cooked for about an hour or longer if you forget to turn it off, it will only become richer. After turning it off add the dill and parsley and allow to cool.
There is still some fish flesh on the bones and if you feel like it you can pick through the bones and collect that for the soup if not, just drain the stock through a mesh colander to catch everything that you don't want in the soup. Depending on the amount of stock you have you will need

2-3 carrots shredded or thinly sliced

1-2 celery ribs thinly sliced

3-5 small red skin or 1 large russet potatoes cut in small cubes

1 large onion diced

2 garlic cloves sliced

2 tbsp of oil

1 bay leaf, salt and pepper

for garnish:

3-4 dill sprigs

2-3 green onion chopped

Start by sauteing onions in a large soup pot. Then add carrots and celery. Sauteing adds an extra layer of flavor to the soup but not a necessary step and can be skipped in case you are pressed for time. Add the rest of the ingredients and stock. Cook till the potatoes are done about 15 min. Turn off and add the chopped dill and green onions or it can be added to the bowl of soup directly. The soup is light and flavorful at the same time. If your kids are not into fish but do eat meatballs you can trick them into eating fish is you add it to this soup in the shape of balls. Instead of making burgers you can use this recipe and make little fish balls and drop them into the cooking soup. They cook fast in the boiling stock and make a rich soup that is a meal.
My husband like to add a small piece of butter and a slice of lemon into his bowl. I admit, it adds an extra level of flavor.