Stock
8 cups water
1 carrot halved
2 bay leaves
8 peppercorns
2 sprigs flat leaf parsley
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 pound fresh salmon with bone, skin on, in one piece
Simmer Stock
Add all ingredients to water in a stockpot and cook over moderate heat for five minutes. Carefully slide salmon into water and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Prep vegetables, spices, flavourings, and thickeners while stock is simmering.
Prepare vegetables, spices, and thickeners
3 medium onions, chopped (1/2 cups)
1 whole hot fresh green chili
¼ cup chopped fresh dill
¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
½ cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon dried or ½ teaspoon fresh oregano
1 ½ cups shelled walnuts, processed to a smooth paste
3 tablespoons tomato paste
After simmering time is complete, gently remove salmon to a plate to cool. Strain the broth into a second pot. Discard the flavourings but save the broth.
Sauté Onions
Onions as prepared above
2 tablespoons flour
1-2 tablespoons olive oil.
Heat oil in the stockpot. Add the onions and stir to coat. Sauté onions while gently stirring over low heat until the onions have yellowed and softened (approximately 5 minutes). Turn off the heat. Sprinkle in flour and toss with the onions.
Add remaining ingredients and simmer.
Add the fish broth, walnuts, coriander, oregano, hot chili, dill, parsley, celery, and tomato paste. Mix and cook over low heat for 15 min.
While the soup is simmering, remove bones and skin from the salmon, remove brown flesh, if desired. Divide salmon into soup-spoon-friendly sized cubes. Add the fish cubes and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Garnish with chopped dill before serving.
Notes: This fantastic winter soup is almost fool proof, although low-quality salmon, burned onions, or rancid walnuts can reduce performance. The flour can be omitted or substituted to produce a gluten free version. The soup improves after a day of refrigeration.