• Home
  • Blog
  • Links I Like

Prof Who Cooks

out of the classroom and into the kitchen

  • The Prof’s Recipes
  • Just Because
  • TWD-BCM
  • CCC
  • CookthebookFridays

The Prof’s Recipes: Marmitako (Spicy Basque Tuna Soup)

January 22, 2015 by Katie 5 Comments

I had some leftover tuna from making Spice Crusted Tuna for French Fridays with Dorie.  I hated to waste such beautiful fish, but I just wasn’t in the mood to slice it and serve it over salad.  So, I referred to my Basque roots–I have both French and Spanish Basque family members and spent part of my honeymoon there–and created my own take on Marmitako, Basque Tuna Soup.

NB: I like some spice and kick to my food and we had people getting over colds in this house, so I wanted for it to clear the passageways, as it were.  I started with the level of paprika and piment d’espelette listed in the recipe and then added about 1/2 teaspoon of the latter after tasting.

Spicy Marmitako (Basque Fresh Tuna Soup)
Print Recipe
  • CourseMain Dish, Soup
  • CuisineBasque
Servings Prep Time
2-3 people 20 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Servings Prep Time
2-3 people 20 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Spicy Marmitako (Basque Fresh Tuna Soup)
Print Recipe
  • CourseMain Dish, Soup
  • CuisineBasque
Servings Prep Time
2-3 people 20 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Servings Prep Time
2-3 people 20 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1.5 cups chopped onion about 1 medium
  • 1.5 cups chopped or sliced bell pepper I used red and yellow
  • 1.5 cups chopped potatoes about 1 large russet
  • 1 tbsp Hungarian paprika
  • 1.5 tsp piment d'espelette
  • 4 cups fish broth or stock
  • 12 oz seared tuna from spice crusted tuna
  • 1.5 cups arugula packed
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Heat a pan over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, then add oil to the pan. Once hot, add the chopped onions. Sauté the onions until they are soft and slightly translucent, about 3 minutes.
  2. Next, add the bell pepper to the pan and sauté until starting to soften, about 2 minutes.
  3. Now, add the potatoes, paprika, and piment d'espelette, and sauté for about 30 seconds until you can smell the spices toasting.
  4. Add the fish broth and turn the heat up to medium-high. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat and simmer the soup until the potatoes are the texture you like. I simmered for about 15 minutes.
  5. At this point, you may want to taste the broth: if it just right spice-wise, continue on. If it's too spicy, add in some more fish broth, about 1/4 cup at a time, until it's right for your palate. If not spicy enough, well, you know what to do.
  6. Finally, add the tuna and cook on low for about 2 minutes (for already seared tuna, a bit longer for raw tuna) until heated through.
  7. If you like, you can add in a handful of arugula leaves with the tuna just until wilted. Chard or even pre-cooked kale or collard greens would also go nicely and add some beautiful greens to your soup.
  8. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust.
Recipe Notes

NB: You can definitely use raw, not previously seared, tuna.  Just cut it into cubes and heat through for about 4-5 minutes total!

Share this Recipe
Powered byWP Ultimate Recipe

Filed Under: Mains, The Prof's Recipes Tagged With: ahi tuna, basque cuisine, leftovers, piment d'espelette, soup

« FFWD: Curried Mussels and a dessert makeup
FFWD: Spice Crusted Tuna »

Comments

  1. Guyla says

    January 23, 2015 at 1:00 pm

    Looks good!

    Reply
    • Katie says

      January 24, 2015 at 4:54 pm

      Thanks, Guyla!

      Reply
  2. betsy says

    January 24, 2015 at 4:04 pm

    This soup looks right up my alley. If I were starting with fresh, not leftover, fish, do you think I should cook it first or just add in chunks?

    Reply
    • Katie says

      January 24, 2015 at 4:55 pm

      Thanks, Betsy! Just add the raw tuna in chunks and cook it for 4-5 minutes on low, instead of just the 2 minutes for already-seared tuna. I’ve added a note to the recipe reflecting that, so thank you for asking!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. FFWD: Spice Crusted Tuna says:
    January 23, 2015 at 5:41 am

    […] In the end, I just wasn’t in the mood to add the tuna to a salad, as Dorie suggested.  But, I also did not want to throw it away as I ended up doing with the mussels (sob!).  So, I made Marmitako, a spicy Basque Tuna Soup.  It’s my own recipe–I’m part Basque (both French and Spanish) and love Basque food.  I spent part of my honeymoon in the Basque country and the pintxos at the little bars were just…sigh.  Definitely check it out: Marmitako! […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Welcome!

I teach at a university in the West and I cook. I study French stuff, when I have my research hat on, so I also like French food. I've lived in Paris (in the 6ème) and there, as here, I tend to cook for myself. I actually prefer baking, but there's all those calories, you know. I also like wine a lot. It's important to me to eat good food and drink good wine. That last is the fun part. The work of cooking? It's all about the stress relief. Well, that and trying to procrastinate on grading!

Recent Photos

    Categories

    • Book Reviews
    • CCC
    • CookthebookFridays
      • Everyday Dorie
      • MPK
    • FFWD
    • Freshman Seminar
    • Just Because
    • The Prof's Recipes
      • Appetizers and Sides
      • Breakfast
      • Mains
      • Salads
      • WFPB
    • TWD-BCM
    • Uncategorized

    Copyright © 2019 · Tasteful theme by Restored 316