Cod and White Bean Soup with Spinach and Sweet Onion

Galician

Medium · Hot

Cod and White Bean Soup with Spinach and Sweet Onion

A warming Atlantic soup where tender cod flakes meet creamy white beans and wilted spinach, all built on a sweet onion base with a generous drizzle of olive oil and a dusting of paprika.

Recipe by

Anxo Rivera

The Pulpeiro

Prep

15 min

Cook

30 min

Total

45 min

Method

Prepare the Vegetables

Dice the yellow-onion into small pieces. Mince the garlic cloves. Peel and dice the carrot into small cubes. Peel the potatoes and cut into 2-centimeter cubes.

Build the Sofrito

Heat the olive-oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the diced yellow-onion and cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent but not browned.

Add the minced garlic and diced carrot to the pot. Cook for another 4 minutes until fragrant and the carrot begins to soften.

Simmer the Soup

Pour in the chicken-broth and add the potato cubes. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes until the potatoes are just tender.

Stir in the white-beans and cook for 5 more minutes until heated through.

Add the Cod

Cut the cod into large chunks and gently nestle them into the simmering soup. Poach for 5 to 7 minutes until the fish flakes easily with a fork but remains tender.

Finish and Season

Add the spinach to the pot and stir gently until wilted, about 2 minutes.

Season with paprika, salt, and black-pepper. Squeeze the juice of the lemon over the soup and give it a final stir.

Serve

Ladle into deep bowls, scatter fresh parsley over the top, and finish with a generous drizzle of good olive-oil. Serve immediately with crusty bread alongside.

Nutri-Score

Excellent balance

A–E · lower is better · score -6

Calories

650

per serving

High in protein · 45gLow sugar · 8gLow saturated fat · 3g

Protein

45g

Carbs

86g

Fat

16g

Sat. fat

Fiber

12g

Sugar

Sodium

1303mg

Gluten FreeDairy FreeMediterraneanWhole30Heart HealthyDiabetes FriendlyHigh Blood PressureLow CholesterolHigh ProteinHigh FiberLow Saturated FatWeight Management

Nutri-Score is a general nutritional-balance guide, not medical or dietary advice.

Grade pending

Environmental impact

Estimated footprint

Grade pending · 80% ingredient coverage

kg CO₂e

≥0.4

per serving

white-beans drives 46% of this recipe’s estimated footprint.

Carbon from Poore & Nemecek 2018; water, land & runoff from Agribalyse — modelled averages for comparing recipes, not a measurement of your groceries.

Flavor Profile

Umami

Sweet

Salty

Sour

Bitter

Spicy

Textures

TenderCreamySilkySoft

Aromas

HerbalSmokySavoryPungent

Kitchen Equipment

Primary Tool

Stockpot

Stockpot Chef Knife Cutting Board Wooden Spoon Ladle Olive Oil

Counter FootprintMedium

Techniques

Sauteing Simmering PoachingWiltingSofrito

Safety & Storage

Allergen Warning

Cod is a finfish allergen. Any contamination from raw or cooked cod to other ingredients, utensils, or surfaces can cause serious reactions in individuals with fish allergies. Use dedicated equipment and thoroughly sanitize all contact surfaces.

Cross Contamination

Prevent cross-contamination by keeping raw cod separate from other ingredients during prep. Use separate cutting boards, knives, and serving utensils for fish components. Wash hands thoroughly after handling raw cod.

Cooking Temperature

Ensure soup reaches a gentle simmer (180-195°F) when adding cod chunks. Poach cod for 5-7 minutes until internal temperature reaches 145°F and fish flakes easily with a fork. Do not serve if fish appears undercooked or translucent in center.
Chicken broth must be heated to a rolling boil (212°F/100°C) before adding other ingredients to ensure any potential pathogens are eliminated. If using homemade broth, ensure it was prepared from fully cooked chicken and refrigerated within 2 hours of cooking.

High Risk Population

Immunocompromised individuals, pregnant women, young children, and elderly persons are particularly vulnerable to foodborne illness from improperly cooked fish. Ensure thorough cooking and avoid reheating soup more than once.

Storage

Leftover soup containing fish must be refrigerated within 2 hours of cooking. Store in airtight containers at 40°F or below for up to 3 days. Reheat to 165°F before consuming. Do not leave at room temperature for more than 2 hours total.

Handling

When cutting cod into chunks, check for any bones and remove them completely as they pose a choking hazard, especially for children and elderly diners.

Pro Tips

Technique

Do not rush the cod—nestle the chunks gently into the simmering broth and give them exactly 5 to 7 minutes. When the flesh flakes easily with a fork and turns opaque all the way through, it is ready. Overcooked cod becomes chalky and loses that silky texture we are after.

Substitution

Hake or monkfish work beautifully here if you cannot find fresh cod. Both hold their shape in the broth and have that lovely Atlantic sweetness. For a heartier version, a few pieces of pork belly, browned first, would not shame this dish at all—it is what my grandmother would have done.

From the chef

Tender cod flakes at the touch of a fork, creamy white beans soak up the sweet onion broth, and the spinach wilts in at the last moment — this soup is Atlantic winter in a bowl. The base is patient: onion cooked soft and translucent, carrot and garlic going in after, potato simmering until just tender before the beans follow. The cod barely needs cooking once it is nestled into the hot broth. A squeeze of lemon and a pour of good olive oil pooling on top finish it cleanly. The sea provides, but it is the humble bean and the patient potato that keep a family fed through the long grey months.

Anxo RiveraThe Pulpeiro

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TagsCod

AllergensFish

Source: generated · June 10, 2026