Fragrant Fish Soup = Not a Chicken

I almost impulse-bought a rotisserie chicken.

Most times, it's the gum or candy bars, batteries or spare lint rollers that people buy as they wait in the check-out aisle. Not me. I get chickens. See, Wegmans is smart. They have a hot chicken display right there where the wee soda fridge's go. And they smell sooooo good. Omg. Sometimes I just can't help myself. This time, though, I remained strong. (Mostly because I couldn't think of a way to incorporate it into our week's meals on such short notice!)

Instead, we had this lovely Fragrant Fish Soup, found in the latest issue of Eating Well Magazine. Let me tell you, "fragrant" is the perfect word for this soup. The melding of the lemony jasmine rice with the pungent mint, fresh carrots and dainty green onions... delightful! I breathed deep and my stomach growled.

I'd never plated soup (bowled soup?) in this manner before - with the island of rice in the center, broth like a moat around it. I didn't mess up anything extra doing it, and I thought it added so much to the presentation. Sure, it's nothing new, but it made me happy. :)

You can probably already guess that I really liked this soup. I enjoyed the play of textures between the delicate fish, the soft rice, the nice chew of the carrots... and I could happily eat this again and again (and I did for lunch the next day!). That said, Dave claimed it was "missing something," but couldn't place what, other than to say it just needed MORE of everything on top. He could be on to something, for sure, but I was happy with it as it was.

Fragrant Fish Soup
c/o Eating Well Magazine, April 2008
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/fragrant_fish_soup.html

Lemony rice, delicately flavored broth and gently poached tilapia are topped with a colorful blend of vegetables and herbs. The aromatic mint provides fresh and complex flavor.

Makes 4 servings, about 1 1/4 cups each

1 cup jasmine rice
2 cups water
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 pound tilapia fillets or other firm white fish (see Tip)
4 cups bite-size pieces arugula or watercress (about 1 bunch), tough stems removed
1 cup finely shredded carrots
1/4 cup very thinly sliced fresh mint
2 scallions, finely chopped

Combine rice and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat; cover and cook until the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Stir in lemon zest and juice.

Meanwhile, bring broth to a simmer in another medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat so the broth remains steaming, but not simmering. Add fish and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Remove and break into bite-size chunks.

Divide the lemony rice among 4 bowls. Top with equal portions of the fish, arugula (or watercress), carrot, mint and scallions. Ladle 1 cup of the warm broth into each bowl and serve.

TIP: Tip: Look for U.S. farm-raised tilapia, which is usually grown in closed farming systems that limit pollution and prevent escapes. Some Central and South American tilapia is farmed in this manner as well, but avoid tilapia from China and Taiwan, mostly farmed in open systems.

Per serving: 239 calories; 3 g fat (1 g sat, 1 g mono); 62 mg cholesterol; 25 g carbohydrate; 29 g protein; 2 g fiber; 230 mg sodium; 572 mg potassium.