Kakavia (soupe grecque de pêcheur)
Une soupe de poisson rustique mijotée avec des légumes, finie à l'huile d'olive et au citron.
Portions
Ingrédients
Nutrition
Par portion
Étapes
Build the sofrito base
In a large, heavy pot, heat half the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots and celery and cook gently, stirring now and then, until soft and fragrant but not browned.
- 75 ml olive oil
- 2 onions
- 2 carrots
- 2 stalks celery
✅ C'est prêt quand : the vegetables are soft and translucent, not coloured
Simmer the fish stock
Add the reserved fish heads and bones, the water, bay leaves and a good pinch of salt to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes, skimming off any foam that rises. Strain the stock through a sieve into another pot or bowl, pressing lightly on the solids, then discard the bones and return the clear stock and softened vegetables to the pot.
- heads and bones reserved fish bones
- 2 litres water
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 pinch salt
✅ C'est prêt quand : the stock smells deeply of fish and the vegetables are falling-apart soft
Cook the potatoes
Add the potato chunks and the crushed tomatoes to the strained stock. Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat until the potatoes are almost tender, about 15 minutes.
- 3 potatoes
- 2 tomatoes
✅ C'est prêt quand : a knife slides into the potatoes with just a little resistance
Poach the fish
Lower the fish steaks into the simmering soup. Keep the heat low so the liquid barely bubbles, and poach gently for 8–10 minutes, until the fish is just cooked through and flakes easily. Do not stir hard or the fish will break apart; shake the pot gently instead.
- 1.5 kg fish steaks
✅ C'est prêt quand : the fish is opaque all the way through and flakes when gently pressed
Finish with oil and lemon
Take the pot off the heat. Stir in the lemon juice and the remaining olive oil, which gives the broth its silky, slightly thickened body. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper; the soup should taste bright and lemony, not sour.
- 2 lemons, juiced
- 75 ml olive oil
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
✅ C'est prêt quand : the broth looks glossy and tastes balanced between rich and bright
Serve the soup
Ladle the soup into deep bowls, making sure everyone gets fish, potatoes and plenty of broth. Scatter over the parsley and serve at once with crusty bread for dipping.
- small bunch parsley
- to serve crusty bread
Build the sofrito base
In a large, heavy pot, heat half the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots and celery and cook gently, stirring now and then, until soft and fragrant but not browned.
- 75 ml olive oil
- 2 onions
- 2 carrots
- 2 stalks celery
✅ C'est prêt quand : the vegetables are soft and translucent, not coloured
Simmer the fish stock
Add the reserved fish heads and bones, the water, bay leaves and a good pinch of salt to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes, skimming off any foam that rises. Strain the stock through a sieve into another pot or bowl, pressing lightly on the solids, then discard the bones and return the clear stock and softened vegetables to the pot.
- heads and bones reserved fish bones
- 2 litres water
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 pinch salt
✅ C'est prêt quand : the stock smells deeply of fish and the vegetables are falling-apart soft
Cook the potatoes
Add the potato chunks and the crushed tomatoes to the strained stock. Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat until the potatoes are almost tender, about 15 minutes.
- 3 potatoes
- 2 tomatoes
✅ C'est prêt quand : a knife slides into the potatoes with just a little resistance
Poach the fish
Lower the fish steaks into the simmering soup. Keep the heat low so the liquid barely bubbles, and poach gently for 8–10 minutes, until the fish is just cooked through and flakes easily. Do not stir hard or the fish will break apart; shake the pot gently instead.
- 1.5 kg fish steaks
✅ C'est prêt quand : the fish is opaque all the way through and flakes when gently pressed
Finish with oil and lemon
Take the pot off the heat. Stir in the lemon juice and the remaining olive oil, which gives the broth its silky, slightly thickened body. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper; the soup should taste bright and lemony, not sour.
- 2 lemons, juiced
- 75 ml olive oil
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
✅ C'est prêt quand : the broth looks glossy and tastes balanced between rich and bright
Serve the soup
Ladle the soup into deep bowls, making sure everyone gets fish, potatoes and plenty of broth. Scatter over the parsley and serve at once with crusty bread for dipping.
- small bunch parsley
- to serve crusty bread
The Story Behind the Dish
Kakavia takes its name from the heavy cooking pot fishermen kept on board their boats. At the end of a day's work, they would cook whatever fish were too small or too mixed to sell, simmering them with onions and whatever vegetables were on hand, right there on deck or on the shore.
⭐ Why It's Famous
It is considered the ancestor of French bouillabaisse and other Mediterranean fish soups, prized for turning humble, mixed catch into something deeply flavourful using nothing more than olive oil, lemon and patience.
💡 Fun Fact
Traditional kakavia uses no flour or cream to thicken the broth; its silky texture comes only from good olive oil whisked in at the end.
Greek islands and coastal villages, Aegean Sea
37.35°N, 23.47°E
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