Caldo de Pescado (Mexican Fish Soup) combines your catch of the day along with a few vegetables in a mildly spicy seafood broth. If you are looking for a receta de pescado en caldo, you've come to the right place.

Caldo de Pescado Recipe (Mexican Fish Soup) by Jeff Benda

A Soup Season Favorite

When the winter cold settles in, a simmering pot of Caldo de Pescado fills the house with warmth and promise. Soup season has a way of shifting the pace of life here in North Dakota. It calls you toward the kitchen and invites you to gather the people you love. It turns the everyday act of sitting at the table into something memorable.

My wife Melissa always gives a sigh of relief when I tell her I'm making a pot of soup for supper when it's -10 below zero outside. Our 10-year-old daughter asks if she can cut the lime wedges. Simple tasks become joyful moments when making a meal together.

This Mexican Fish Soup is comforting, bright, and deeply satisfying. Even better, it gives both freshwater and saltwater anglers a fun new reason to reach into the freezer. If you fish the lakes and rivers of the Midwest, you can use walleye, crappie, perch, bass, or catfish. If you fish coastal waters, you can use cod, halibut, snapper, or grouper. Any firm white fish will work well. Each species brings its own subtle character to the pot.

Mexican Fish Soup with Limes and Cilantro (receta de pescado en caldo)

A Bowl of Caldo de Pescado

Making a fish soup using fish you caught yourself offers a special kind of joy. The onions and celery soften. The spices bloom in the crushed tomatoes. The broth grows richer with every minute. The fish gently poaches until tender. You feel the rhythm of the pot. You sense when the broth settles into harmony. A bowl of Caldo de Pescado feels like comfort when my wife and daughter hold it with both hands.

As a wild game chef and full-time recipe developer, I love showing anglers and home cooks how a good pot of soup can turn simple ingredients into something special. In fact, this dish works beautifully for beginners. It’s also a reliable option for busy families. And ultimately, it works for anyone hungry for warmth. Because winter is long here in the Upper Midwest, a comforting soup like this has a way of making the season feel just a little shorter.

Why a Teaspoon of Sugar Helps Balance the Heat

This recipe uses a few pickled jalapeños most of us have hanging out in the door of our refrigerator. They add a mild heat and tang. The warmth adds life to the broth, but some eaters prefer a softer finish. A teaspoon of sugar rounds off the edges of the spice. It smooths the acidity of the tomatoes. It softens the bite of the jalapeños. Kids appreciate that gentle balance. Adults who avoid spicy food enjoy it as well. The sweetness does not make the soup taste sugary. It simply brings harmony to the bowl.

Freshwater and Saltwater Options for Fish Soup

This receta de pescado en caldo celebrates the fish you catch. It works with many species because the broth carries bold flavors that still let the fish shine.

Freshwater white-fish options

Walleye
Yellow perch
White bass
Crappie
Catfish

Saltwater white-fish options

Cod
Halibut
Mahi-mahi
Snapper
Grouper

Choose firm fillets. Cut them into 2-inch pieces. Smaller pieces will break apart. Larger pieces will resist seasoning. Make sure you season the fish with salt and pepper before adding it to the soup. That small step helps anchor flavor into each bite.

Fish cooks fast. That's why we choose to simmer rather than boil. Simmering protects delicate proteins. Your fish stays tender because the broth never surges too hard. Stay close to the pot during the final few minutes. When the pieces turn opaque and flake with light pressure, they're ready.

What You Need To Make Mexican Fish Soup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons avocado oil or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
kosher salt
black pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground thyme
2 Sazon Goya seasoning packets (.2 ounces each)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
8 cups seafood stock
2 cups Yukon gold potatoes, diced
2 cups carrots, peeled and diced
4 or 5 pickled jalapeno slices, minced + 2 tablespoons of the brine
2 pounds walleye, perch, bass, or catfish fillets, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 lime, cut into wedges
¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

(Saltwater anglers may use cod, snapper, halibut, grouper, or mahi-mahi in place of freshwater fillets. Cut them the same way and follow the same steps.)

Instructions

1. Heat the oil and butter in a large 6-quart pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until the butter is melted. Add onion, celery, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper and sauté for 4 minutes, until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Onions and Celery seasoned with salt and pepper

2. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the cumin, oregano, thyme, and Sazon Goya and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes.

Crushed Tomatoes for Caldo de Pescado Recipe

3. Add the seafood stock. Increase to medium-high heat and bring to a bubbling simmer. Stir occasionally for 5 minutes.

Seafood Stock for Mexican Fish Soup Recipe

4. Stir in the carrots and potatoes, pickled jalapeño, its brine, and 1 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to medium. Bring back to a simmer and continue to cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until the carrots and potatoes are cooked through.

5. Season fish pieces with salt and pepper. Stir fish into the soup with the sugar. Simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the fish is just cooked through.

6. Season with more salt if desired. Ladle the soup into bowls. Serve with lime wedges and a bowl of chopped cilantro on the side.

More Mexican-Style Fish Recipes

If you enjoyed this receta de pescado en caldo and are looking for more Mexican-style fish recipes, be sure and check out these family favorites:

Come Fishing in North Dakota

If you are headed our way to catch some fish in North Dakota, check out the North Dakota Game & Fish Department website. And if you want me to come along with you as your personal chef and photographer, you can find out more details here.

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DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

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