Carp Fisherman’s Soup (from the Danube River) – a delicious, easy-to-make fish soup featuring fresh carp, plenty of vegetables, and a fragrant mix of spices. If you enjoy hearty fish soups, this one’s for you. Try it just the way fishermen along the famous Danube River enjoy it.
On the menu today, we have a delightful, straightforward fish soup inspired by old fisherman’s cookbooks. Traditionally made with common carp – plentiful in my part of Europe – this recipe is wonderfully versatile. You can use almost any fish you like, and it will still turn out just as delicious.
More fish soup: Try my recipe for the Norwegian Fish Soup with cod (fiskesuppe med torsk). It’s really good too.
Behind the Bites
The Danube River is Europe’s second-longest river, stretching about 2,850 km (1,770 miles) from the Black Forest in Germany to the Black Sea. It flows through or borders ten countries, making it a crucial waterway for trade, culture, and biodiversity. Over millennia, its varied landscapes-from alpine streams to broad lowland plains-have shaped rich ecosystems along its course.
The Danube is particularly rich in fish species. Its waters support over 100 species, including carp, pike, catfish, perch, and sturgeon. Historically, these fish populations have sustained local communities, forming the basis of traditional fishing cultures and regional cuisines. Floodplains, wetlands, and tributaries provide ideal habitats, making the river a hotspot for both commercial and recreational fishing.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Carp fish– fresh carp fish fillets – they get boiled in water and then cleaned from the bones.
- Potatoes
- Carrots
- Onions
- Red Bell pepper – or any other type of fresh pepper
- Oil – vegetable oil of choice (e.g. sunflower, olive oil)
- Spices & herbs: celery leaves, lovage, dill, bay leaves, sea salt and black pepper
- Lemon – fresh lemon juice is essential here
- Water – for soup, or fish broth (from boiling carp fillets)
NOTE: This recipe can be made using any part of the carp, or with any other type of freshwater river fish of your liking.
How to cook carp fish soup?
1st: Clean carp fish, cut into fillets and place into cold water on the stove top. Boil fish until fully cooked. Then, clean fish from any bones and cut in small pieces. Set aside.
2nd: In some oil, sauté cleaned and sliced vegetables until soft. Add in the fish broth/water & cooked carp. Bring to a boil and let simmer. Remove from stove top and season with minced fresh herbs (celery leaves, lovage and dill). Season with salt and pepper and serve with lemon slices on the side.
MORE Seafood Recipes?
Let me introduce you to some of my favorite seafood recipes on the blog:
Carp Fisherman Soup (from Danube River)
Ingredients
- 300 g carp fish, fillet
- 4 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion
- 1 medium carrot
- 2 large potatoes
- 1 small red bell pepper
- 2 tbsp. celery leaves, fresh
- 2 tbsp. lovage, fresh
- 1 tbsp. dill, fresh
- 1 large lemon, organic
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 liter water, for soup
- sea salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- First, in a large soup pan place raw carp fish fillets, cover with the water and bring to a boil. Let simmer until fully cooked.
- Remove the fish and skim any foam from the cooking water. Preserve the broth and use as fish broth later on.
- Then, clean, peel and chop the onion, carrot, pepper and potatoes. Sauté in vegetable oil until soft on the stove top.
- Add in the fish broth, bay leaves and cleaned fish (from any bones) and chopped in pieces. Bring to a boil and let simmer, until all vegetables are cooked.
- When fully cooked, place minced dill, lovage, celery leaves, salt and black pepper into the pot. Let simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Finally, serve with a piece of lemon on the side.
Notes
Nutrition
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The perfect recipe on a rainy afternoon.