Montenegro

This is a Balkan region fish soup. It is believed that it originated in the Montenegrin city of Kotor, a small historical town located on the Bay of Kotor, also known as the southernmost fjord. When I visited Kotor, I couldn’t try this fish soup. To get to this soup, my friend Marina had to visit the region with her family and bring me the idea for this dish.
Originally, this dish was made from low-quality fish that was not eaten in any other form. Today, it has become a restaurant dish that you can find in Montenegro and many other places in the Balkans. In translation, it means fish soup, and in Croatian.
I think this soup deserves to be cooked, as the inhabitants of the Lake Peipsi region, for whom good fish and well-prepared ucha are common, recognize this soup as delicious. Nowadays, it is mostly made from several different fish, which gives the soup a richness of nuances.

Preparation time: No more than 1 hour
Level: Easy
Quantity: About 5L of fish soup

Ingredients:
300 g cod fillets
500 g cod fillets
400 g salmon fillets
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 large bell peppers, finely chopped
4 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tbsp olive oil for browning
3 celery stalks, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
4 medium potatoes, cut into 1-2 cm pieces
15 baby carrots, sliced or 3 larger carrots, halved lengthwise and sliced
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
3 tbsp tomato paste
0.5 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp sweet paprika powder
0.25 tsp cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
1 tsp ground black pepper
Soup salt or vegetable stock, if desired powder
Sea salt for seasoning
Handful of chopped parsley
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Fresh parsley and dill for garnish

Preparation:

1. Chop the onion and garlic. Pour the oil into a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Brown over medium heat for a few minutes.
2. Chop the bell pepper and add to the onion and garlic.
3. Slice the carrots, chop the potatoes, celery, and tomato, and add to the food. Stir and let simmer for a few minutes.
4. Add the thyme, paprika powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper, 1 tbsp vegetable stock powder (if desired), bay leaves, and tomato paste. Stir and let simmer for a few minutes.
5. Pour 2-3 cups of water over the stewed vegetables and let boil. Boil for about 10 minutes.
6. Cut the fish fillets into pieces that are not too small. 3-5 cm pieces are good. Add to the soup and cook for 10-15 minutes.
7. Add chopped parsley and balsamic vinegar, stir, and simmer until the vegetables are soft, but the carrots are still slightly crunchy.
8. Serve with toasted sourdough bread, garnish with fresh dill and parsley sprigs.
   Ready!!