- Prep10 min
- Cook20 min
Barramundi, carrot and baby corn simmered in a spiced tomato broth, with spinach wilted in at the end. It’s a barramundi soup that lives in one pot, with about 20 minutes on the stove. Buy the fish pre-cut and the knife work shrinks to an onion and a carrot.
Want it easier still? Use frozen chopped onion, jarred garlic and grated carrot, and leave the corn out. Make the South American spice mix on a good day and it’s two spoonfuls on the night. Leftovers sort tomorrow’s lunch.
Can I manage this today?
- Spoon rating: 🥄🥄 Low Spoons
- Hands-on time: 10 minutes of prep, then about 20 minutes on the stove, about 12 of them hands-off (the simmer and the rest)
- Main effort: cutting the barramundi into 2 cm pieces and finely chopping the onion
- Chopping: a little: the onion, the carrot, the garlic and the fish. Frozen onion, grated carrot, jarred garlic and pre-cut fish skip all of it
- Standing and attention: about 5 minutes at the stove to start, a 10-minute simmer that mostly looks after itself, then 3 to 4 minutes watching the fish
- Washing up: 1 saucepan with a lid, 1 jug or bowl, plus a board and knife if you do the cutting
Quick spoon check
- Low-spoon version: frozen chopped onion, jarred garlic, grated carrot, fish cut for you, corn left out, spice mix made ahead.
- As written: chop the onion and garlic, dice or grate the carrot, cut the fish, then follow the method.
Kerry’s notes
I take the skin off once the fish is cooked. Leave it on if you’d rather skip the job.
Corn’s optional. I use baby corn spears because they go straight in. Sweet corn kernels work too, and so does leaving it out. The numbers shift a little depending on which you pick. Leigh will want to tell you exactly how much, so I’ll put the kettle on first. Her guide to macros is the place to start.
The spinach goes in last. Heat off, lid on, two minutes, and it wilts itself. No standing there stirring.
What’s that ingredient?
Barramundi: an Australian white fish with firm, mild-tasting flesh. You’ll find it at a fishmonger or the supermarket seafood counter, fresh or frozen. Ask for skinless fillet cut into 2 cm pieces and the prep is done for you. Keep it in the fridge and cook it by the use-by date on the label. If it’s frozen, thaw it in the fridge first. Easiest swap: another firm white fish fillet. It hasn’t been tested here, so check it’s opaque and flakes before you serve it.
Why this barramundi soup works
- The fish goes in last. It needs 3 to 4 minutes in the simmering broth, by which time the vegetables are already done.
- The spinach wilts itself. Pan off the heat, lid on, and leave it for 2 minutes.
- The flavour comes from the jar. The spice mix, ground cumin and ground coriander season the whole pot, so there are no fresh herbs to buy.
- Corn is your call. Baby corn, sweet corn kernels or none, and the soup still works.
Ingredients at a glance
- Barramundi: the main protein, in 2 cm pieces.
- Brown onion and garlic: the savoury base, cooked first with the spices.
- Carrot: small pieces that go tender in the simmer.
- Vegetable broth or stock: the liquid the soup is built on.
- Tomato paste: stirred into the stock for a tomato-red broth.
- No Spoons South American Spice Mix, ground cumin and ground coriander: the flavour.
- Baby spinach: wilted in at the end.
- Baby corn spears: optional, and tender after the 10-minute simmer.
- Olive oil: for cooking the onion and spices.
No Spoon Swaps
- Frozen chopped onion instead of fresh: no peeling or chopping. Use the same 50 g. The texture is a little softer than fresh, which suits a soup. See our guide to convenience ingredients as accessibility tools.
- Jarred garlic instead of the fresh clove: use the amount on the jar that matches one clove. Fresh garlic gives you a slightly stronger flavour, but jarred saves the peeling and works perfectly well here.
- Grated carrot, or a bag of pre-grated: grating is quicker than dicing, and the bag removes the job. It goes softer in the simmer, which doesn’t matter in a soup.
- Fish cut for you: ask the fishmonger for skinless fillet in 2 cm pieces, or buy it pre-cut. You lose the choice of leaving the skin on.
- Leave the corn out: one fewer thing to buy and open.
- Make the spice mix ahead: one jar on a good day, two spoonfuls on the night. It’s one extra job, once.
Substitutions and allergens
- Corn: 6 baby corn spears, 50 g sweet corn kernels or none. The card’s nutrition panel is for baby corn, and the Notes show the others.
- Fish: another firm white fish fillet in 2 cm pieces. Not tested here, so cook it until it’s opaque and flakes.
- Stock: any vegetable stock, still 750 ml. Saltiness varies between brands, so taste before you add pepper.
- Heat: it comes from the cayenne in the spice mix. Use less cayenne in the mix for a milder pot.
Allergen notes
- Fish: barramundi is fish.
- Dairy: none in the recipe as written. Check your stock label.
- Labels: check the stock, tomato paste and any bought spices for allergens, because brands differ.
Equipment and easier alternatives
- A medium saucepan with a lid, a board and knife (or a grater), measuring spoons and a jug or bowl for the stock.
- Put everything within reach before the pan heats, so there’s no walking back and forth.
- Sit on a stable stool for the chopping, where that’s safe in your kitchen. Or use the swaps above and skip it.
Storage, freezing and reheating
- Fridge: cool the barramundi soup, then refrigerate it in a covered container within 2 hours. Keep it at 5°C or colder and eat it within 3 days.
- Freezer: don’t freeze this one. It’s a fridge-only soup, so it isn’t tagged Freezer Friendly.
- Reheating: heat the portion you’ll eat until it’s steaming hot all the way through, and only once. In the microwave, stir and add 10 seconds at a time if it isn’t there yet. Eat the batch-cook leftovers within the 3 days.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a different fish?
Any firm white fish fillet should work in the same 2 cm pieces. We tested it with barramundi, so check that your fish is opaque and flakes before you serve it. Fancy another fish dinner? Try our Quick Thai Red Salmon Curry.
Do I need the corn?
No. Use baby corn, sweet corn kernels or leave it out. The card’s nutrition panel is worked out with baby corn, and the Notes under the recipe show the others.
Can I leave the skin on?
Yes. Kerry takes it off once the fish is cooked, but it’s fine either way.
Where do I get the spice mix?
We make it ourselves. It’s eight spices shaken together in a jar and takes about 3 minutes.
How long does leftover barramundi soup keep?
Up to 3 days in the fridge, cooled and refrigerated within 2 hours of cooking. Reheat it once, until it’s steaming hot all the way through.
South American Spiced Barramundi Soup (Low-Spoon Barra)
Equipment
- Medium saucepan with lid
- Chopping Board
- Knife
- Grater (optional)
- Jug or bowl
Ingredients
Soup base
- 50 g brown onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 50 g carrot
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp No Spoons South American Spice Mix
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground coriander
Broth
- 750 ml vegetable broth or stock
- 50 g tomato paste
- 6 baby corn spears (optional)
Fish and greens
- 300 g barramundi fillet, skin on or off
- 50 g baby spinach leaves
- ¼ tsp black pepper, to start
Instructions
Prepare
- Finely chop the onion.
- Finely chop the garlic clove.
- Cut the carrot into small dice, or grate it.
- Cut the barramundi into 2 cm pieces. Leave the skin on.
Make the broth
- Pour the stock into a jug or bowl.
- Add the tomato paste.
- Stir until no streaks of paste are left.
Cook the base
- Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, until it shimmers.
- Add the onion, garlic, ground cumin, ground coriander and the spice mix.
- Cook for 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion has softened and the mix smells fragrant.
Simmer
- Add the carrot and the corn, if using.
- Pour in the stock and tomato paste mixture, then stir.
- Bring to a simmer.
- Simmer for 10 minutes, until the carrot is just tender when you poke it with a fork.
Cook the fish
- Add the fish pieces to the pan.
- Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the fish is opaque and cooked through.
- If you'd like the skin off, remove it from the fish pieces now.
- Taste, then season with ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Taste again before adding more.
Finish
- Add the spinach.
- Take the pan off the heat.
- Put the lid on and leave it for 2 minutes, until the spinach has wilted.
Notes
- Corn is optional: 6 baby corn spears, 50 g sweet corn kernels or leave it out.
- What that means for macros:
- Baby corn: 610 kcal, 4 g carbs, 22 g protein, 6 g fat.
- Sweet corn kernels: 625 kcal, 5 g carbs, 22 g protein, 6 g fat.
- No corn: 583 kcal, 3 g carbs, 21 g protein, 6 g fat.
- Storage: refrigerate within 2 hours, keep at 5°C or colder, eat within 3 days. Don't freeze. Reheat once, until steaming hot all the way through.
Nutrition
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A final spoon-saving note
Buy the fish pre-cut, grab the frozen onion and let the spice mix do the talking. The only job left is to stir. Give it a go, and save the leftovers for tomorrow.
