Fragrant Fish Soup

You know it's officially summer when the days start getting longer and the weeks literally start flying by. I glanced at my planner this morning and had a minor freak out because I could not believe it's already almost July! Insane!

Despite the warm weather outside, I found myself craving a nice soupy meal. I think my craving has something to do with the fact that I work close to the coast line and therefore start my mornings surrounded by a misty coastal fog. Anyway, to satisfy this craving, I pulled this tried and true recipe from my recipe archives (just an old folder where I keep all my recipes, nothing fancy).

What I love about this fish soup is the balance of the sour lemon, the bitter arugula and the bright mint. The combination of all 3 flavor profiles is like a mini parade in your mouth. This dish is sinfully simple to put together and is healthy too, with no added salt and lots of greens piled on top.

Ingredients:
1 cup Jasmine Rice
2 cups water
juice and zest of 1 lemon
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 lb Tilapia or other firm white fish
4 cups arugula or watercress (about 1 lunch), cut into bite size pieces with the tough stems removed
1 cup finely chopped shredded carrots
1/4 cup thinly sliced mint
2 scallions finely chopped

Directions:
1. Combine rice and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, simmer covered until the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked. About 20 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and zest.

2. Meanwhile, bring broth to 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 from broth and break into bite size chunks.

3. Divide the lemony rice among 4 bowls. Top with equal portions of fish, arugula, carrots, mint and scallions. Ladle 1 cup of warm broth into each bowl.

Serves 4.

I don't know where I got this recipe from so I have to apologize for not being able to credit it.