Parihuela Peruana or Parihuela Soup is a Peruvian Seafood Soup filled with a variation of seafood, like clams, mussels, crab, shrimps, squid, and whole or firm chunks of fish, swimming in a savory broth of heavenly deliciousness!
Peruvian cuisine is known for many incredible savory dishes and Parihuela is absolutely no exception!
So if you love seafood but have yet to try this heavenly dish, keep reading. Learn how quick and incredibly simple it is to make this amazing recipe from the comfort of your home. Done in under 30 minutes!
Undoubtedly, Parihuela Soup is insatiably delicious and always over-delivers on flavor!
Origin
Originating from coastal fishing communities, parihuela, became a traditional soup served to fishermen after a long day out at sea.
Its signature flavor derives from three Peruvian peppers. Ají panca, ají mirasol and the spicy ají amarillo pepper. However, if spicy is not your thing, you can certainly adjust the spiciness to your liking.
So yes, parihuela is a spicy soup but you can adjust it to your taste. Control spiciness by adding more or less ají Amarillo pepper than is suggested below in the recipe card.
Just like the peppers, this soup’s condiments and spices are uniquely Peruvian. Meaning, to make an authentic Parihuela you will want to include other Peruvian ingredients.
Most of these ingredients can easily be found in the Latin section of your local supermarket or Latin specialty store. Nowadays, you can even order most particular ingredients online.
However, sometimes even with all these options, certain items may still be hard to acquire. So as with most recipes, there are always substitutes that can be used to create and mirror a traditional recipe.
Traditional Ingredients and Substitutes
Besides the variety of shellfish, used in a Parihuela Peruana, some authentic ingredients will be best if at all possible. Otherwise, you can substitute with these other ingredients in place of authentic ingredients.
| Ají Panca Paste | ground or dry pasilla pepper or ancho chile powder or paste, achiote paste |
| Ají Mirasol Paste | can be excluded if need be |
| Ají Amarillo Paste | habanero or scotch bonnet pepper |
| Jugo de Kion (Ginger juice) | fresh grated ginger or ground ginger |
| Chicha de Jora (Corn beer) | white wine or light beer |
| Yuyo (Seaweed) | can be excluded completely |
Below is a full list of all the ingredients.
Ingredients for Parihuela Peruana
- a bass, snapper or cod fish
- shrimps
- octopus or squid or both
- crab of your liking or whichever is available to you
- clams
- mussels
- fish stock
- garlic
- tomatoes
- red onion
- tomato paste
- oil
- lime
- fresh cilantro
- ají panca paste
- ají mirasol paste
- ají amarillo paste
- jugo de kion (Ginger juice)
- chicha de jora (Corn beer)
- yuyo (seaweed) optional
- salt and pepper
Some Key Points to Keep in Mind
- If you cannot find certain shellfish in your area, consider buying a frozen seafood mix. You can usually find frozen 1-2 pound bags in the frozen seafood section of the supermarket.
- If you do not like certain shellfish, simply exclude them from the recipe.
- If you use octopus in this recipe, you will have to make sure to precook before adding.
- If you use squid, make sure to clean first, cut body into rings and leave tentacles whole.
- For shrimps, you can either leave on or remove shells.
- If using a whole fish such as bass or snapper, you can cut the head off fish and use it to make a fish stock for this recipe.
- If deshelling shrimps, save shells and make a quick shrimp stock to use in this recipe.
- If using both a whole fish and deshelling shrimps, use both fish head and shells to make a stock.
Using Octopus in this Recipe?
If you would like to use octopus in this recipe, remember to either buy already cooked octopus, or if raw, make sure to cook ahead of time before adding to this recipe as it will need to tenderize.
How to Cook a Raw Octopus for Parihuela Soup
- Buy a small octopus from fish market and have them remove the eyes and beak for you.
- In a medium or large pot, add enough water a few inches from the top over medium heat. Allow water to come to a boil.
- While water is heating, rinse octopus under cool water.
- Lay octopus on a cutting board and pound a little bit with a mallet.
- Once the water has come to a boil, carefully add the octopus to pot.
- Cook for 1 hour.
- Remove octopus and allow to cool for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Slice tentacles thinly on the diagonal. (Slice however much you would like to use in this recipe, freeze the rest in a freezer-safe bag or container)
- Now it is ready to be used in this recipe.
How to Make Parihuela Peruana
- Begin by gathering all your ingredients together.
- Rinse and chop tomatoes. Rinse and chop cilantro. Chop onion and garlic. Set all aside.
- Rinse all seafood. After rinsing all the seafood, place it in your refrigerator, until ready to use.
Note: If using shrimps, decide whether you want to keep shells on or remove them. (This part is personal preference) Either way, make sure to devein shrimps.
- In a large pot, over medium heat, add about 2 tablespoons of oil and add the chopped onion. Saute for 1 minute.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and stir with onions. Cook for another minute.
- Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the ají panca, ají mirasol and the ají amarillo pepper paste. Stir and cook for a few seconds.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the fish and crab.
- Add the fish stock, chicha de jora (beer) and jugo de kion (ginger juice or fresh ginger).
- Stir all together and cook for 10-15 minutes.
- Note: If using fish that is not firm, remove it from the pot after it is cooked through and set aside. This is so the fish does not completely disintegrate into the soup.
- After cooking for 10-15 minutes, add the cooked octopus (if using), squid and shrimps. Stir seafood into soup and cook for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes add the mussels and clams. Cook for another 5-7 minutes.
- Stir in the chopped cilantro.
- In a small bowl, add 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch and a few tablespoons of water to form a slurry.
- Slowly add a little bit of the cornstarch (slurry) to the pot to thicken soup to your liking.
- Note: If you needed to remove fish from pot, return to pot now.
- Soup is done.
Serving Parihuela Soup
- Cut a lime in half. Take half of the lime and squeeze into soup (optional).
- Add seafood pieces to a bowl or bowls and top with broth.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with lime wedges.
Looking for More Seafood Dishes?
If you are a seafood lover like I am, you will also love these dishes too!
Camarones Empanizados (Battered Fried Shrimp)
Mofongo con Camarones Mofongo with Shrimps
28 Cinco de Mayo Seafood Recipes
For even more amazing and delicious seafood recipes, make sure to check our complete seafood section.
Parihuela Peruana
Ingredients
- 1 lb bass, snapper or cod fish whole fish or cut into large chunks
- 1 lb extra large or jumbo shrimps peeled and deveined or leave tails on
- 10 oz octopus (optional) precooked and tentacles thinly sliced about ¼ inch
- 10 oz cleaned squid cleaned and sliced into rings, tentacles left whole
- crab of your liking or whichever is available to you
- 2 dozen clams
- 1 lb mussels
- 4 cups fish stock store-bought or homemade stock (If need be, you can use water)
- 5 garlic cloves finely minced
- 2 roma tomatoes rinsed and chopped
- 1 red or white onion chopped
- 3 tsp ají panca paste
- 2 tsp ají mirasol paste
- 1 tsp ají amarillo paste add more for a spicier soup
- ½ cup fresh cilantro rinsed and chopped
- 2 tsp jugo de kion (Ginger juice) or 1 tsp fresh grated ginger
- 1 cup chicha de jora (Corn beer) can also use white wine or light beer
- 2 tbsp oil light olive oil, vegetable or corn oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- yuyo (seaweed) optional used for garnishing
- 2 limes
Instructions
- Gather all your ingredients together.
- Rinse and chop tomatoes. Rinse and chop cilantro. Chop onion and garlic. Set all aside.
- Rinse all seafood. After rinsing all the seafood, place it in your refrigerator, until ready to use. Note: If using shrimps, decide whether you want to keep shells on or remove them. Either way, make sure to devein shrimps. To use squid, clean, cut body into rings while keeping tentacles whole.For octopus, refer to post.
- In a large pot, over medium heat, add about 2 tablespoons of oil and add the chopped onion. Saute for 1 minute. Add the chopped tomatoes and stir with onions. Cook for another minute.
- Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the ají panca, ají mirasol and the ají amarillo pepper paste. Stir and cook for a few seconds.Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the fish and crab.(If using whole crab/s, cut in half)
- Add the fish stock, chicha de jora (beer), and jugo de kion (ginger juice or fresh ginger).Stir all together and cook for 10-15 minutes. Note: If using fish that is not firm, remove it from the pot after it is cooked through and set aside. This is so the fish does not completely disintegrate into the soup. You want fish to stay whole.
- After cooking for 10-15 minutes, add the cooked octopus (if using), squid, and shrimps. Stir seafood into the soup and cook for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes add the mussels and clams. Cook for another 5-7 minutes.Stir in the chopped cilantro.
- In a small bowl, add 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch and a few tablespoons of water to form a slurry.
- Slowly add a little bit of the cornstarch (slurry) to the pot to thicken soup to your liking.Taste for salt and pepper, add more if needed.Note: If you had to remove the fish from pot earlier, return to pot now. Soup is done.
Serving Parihuela Soup
- Cut a lime in half. Take half of the lime and squeeze into soup (optional).
- Add seafood pieces to a bowl or bowls and top with broth. Garnish with chopped cilantro, yuyo (seaweed, if using), and serve with lime wedges.
Notes
- If you cannot find certain shellfish in your area, consider buying a frozen seafood mix. You can usually find frozen 1-2 pound bags in the frozen seafood section of the supermarket.
- If you do not like certain shellfish, simply exclude them from the recipe.
- If you use octopus in this recipe, you will have to make sure to precook before adding. Refer to post for cooking instructions.
- If you use squid, make sure to clean first, cut the body into rings and leave tentacles whole.
- For shrimps, you can either leave on or remove shells.
- If using a whole fish such as bass or snapper, you can cut the head off fish and use it to make a fish stock for this recipe.
- If deshelling shrimps, save shells and make a quick shrimp stock to use in this recipe.
- If using both a whole fish and deshelling shrimps, use both fish head and shells to make a stock.
Nutrition
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