Calamari soup
This Calamari soup is the most easiest and delicious seafood soup I’ve ever made. It’s made with crispy deep-fried baby squid and tomato and onion relish.
I am not a big fan of cooked calamari, I prefer fried calamari instead. Hence I had to fry these baby squid. I had to make it simple but you are more than welcome to take it a step further and coat them before frying. This baby squid soup is one of my best creations when it comes to my seafood recipes, it’s packed with flavors with minimal effort.
Ingredients
I only used 7 easy ingredients to make this Calamari stew, which there is a high chance that you already have in your pantry. Please check the quantity in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Calamari: I bought my calamari already cleaned and sliced into rings, which makes things easier.
Tomatoes: I grated small to medium-sized tomatoes, you can use canned crushed tomatoes instead.
Tomato paste: If you don’t have tomato paste, this recipe will still work with tomato puree or tomato sauce.
Onion: Yellow onion, diced.
Sugar: this is totally optional, in my cooking whenever I use a lot of tomatoes I always balance it with some sugar.
Vegetable broth: I love using broth in soup recipes, the vegetable broth in this calamari soup recipe gives an intense savory flavor. You could use water in a place of broth or maybe vegetable stock.
Vegetable oil: I prefer to deep fry with vegetable oil such as canola.
How to make this Easy Calamari Soup recipe
- I started by seasoning the calamari with salt while I was doing this I had about a cup of canola oil in a deep saucepan over medium-high heat. Once it was hot (at around 325 and 375 degrees), I added the seasoned calamari to the saucepan and deep fried until they were golden brown and set it aside.
- You can drain the hot cooking oil into a cup or wherever you keep your used cooking oil (if you do that of course) and leave about 2 tablespoons of it in the saucepan. To that add the diced onion and sauté for like 5 minutes.
- Add the fried squid and grated tomatoes to the pot and cook that for 5 minutes over medium heat or medium-high heat. I prefer to cook tomatoes with the pot uncovered to allow the excess water to evaporate quickly.
- Next, I went in with a tablespoon of tomato paste and a cup of vegetable broth. I cooked that for another 5 minutes with the pot covered this time.
- Then this is the time when I add a tablespoon of sugar to balance the acidic taste of the tomatoes, if you want you can season with spices of choice., to give you an idea you can add garlic powder, dried herbs, fish sauce, etc.
- Because I only added sugar, My calamari soup was ready to be served.
How to serve this calamari and tomato soup
- You can serve this seafood soup as a starter.
- With the tomato relish, this calamari stew will be a great companion to pasta.
- I enjoyed this with homemade Irish bread.
How to store leftover seafood soup
Allow the soup to cool down then transfer it into an air-tight container and put it in the fridge. This soup will be good for up to 4 days.
You can freeze it for up to 3 months. Soup lover Tip: To save on space in your freezer, store your soup in serving portions in zip lock bags and let the air out before you zip. Stack them up on top of one another in the freezer.
How to reheat
From the fridge, reheat in the microwave or a saucepan over medium heat until it’s warm, and if it looks watery just let it simmer with the pot uncovered.
From the freezer, let it thaw then warm it the same way as if it was from the fridge.
FAQ
To prevent calamari from becoming tough, either cook it quickly over high heat for a short duration or opt for a slow-cooking method. High heat ensures a fast cook, while a prolonged, gentle simmer can break down collagen, resulting in tender calamari. Experiment with these techniques to find the perfect balance for your desired texture.
Soaking calamari in milk serves as a tenderizing method. The enzymes and acids in the milk help break down proteins in the calamari, resulting in a more tender texture. This process not only enhances the tenderness but also reduces the risk of the calamari becoming tough during cooking. Soaking in milk is a popular preparation step to ensure a delightful and palatable outcome when cooking calamari.
For squid soup, first clean the squid by removing the head, internal organs, and cartilage. Separate the tentacles and cut the body into rings or strips, depending on your preference. Ensure consistent sizing for even cooking.
The secret to cooking calamari is achieving a delicate balance in cooking time. Opt for either a quick, high-heat method to prevent toughness or a slow, gentle simmer to break down collagen and enhance tenderness. Experiment with both approaches to find the perfect balance for your preferred texture. Whether fast or slow, precise timing is the key to unlocking the best flavors and textures in perfectly cooked calamari.
Calamari Soup
Ingredients
- 14 oz Calamari (400g)
- 4 small Tomatoes
- 1 tbsp Tomato paste
- 1 cup Vegetable broth
- 1 Medium onion
- Cooking oil (for deep-frying)
- 1 tbsp Sugar Optional
Instructions
- In a deep saucepan or pot, heat up a cup of vegetable oil.
- Season the calamari with salt to your preferred taste. Once the oil is hot, add the seasoned calamari and deep fry until they are golden brown and set them aside.
- In another saucepan, sauté diced onions until they are soft, that is about 5 minutes.
- Add the deep-fried calamari and grated tomatoes and allow that to cook for 5 minutes on medium-high heat.
- Add the tablespoon of tomato paste followed by a cup of vegetable broth. Cook that for another 5 minutes
- Add a tablespoon of sugar to balance the acidic taste of the tomatoes.
- Serve and enjoy
