Green Borscht with Salmon

It's St. Patrick's weekend, and while I look quite dashing in my lovely orange sweater, I'm not averse to a bit of green and was feeling a bit celebratory.  Lacking a proper excuse to toss back a shot of vodka instead of Jameson, I made a soup that served both purposes: Green Borscht (with salmon, instead of beef, what with my lenten vegetarianism).

Green Borscht with Salmon

Soak 5-10 dried scallops in 1.5 cup of water for 45 mins (optional)

2 onions

2 cloves garlic

2 tbsp chopped fresh ginger

Olive Oil, as necessary

1/2 (1.25 lbs) kilo salmon, large cubes, skin removed

2 cups yams (not sweet potato) or yellow potatoes

1.5 cups chopped fresh dill

6 cups Court Bouillon

1 tbsp black pepper

8 or 1/4 cup chopped Perilla leaves (optional; sorrel is a more traditional herb and an adequate substitute)

1/4 cup lemon balm (optional)

4 green onions

Garnish with boiled eggs, fresh dill, black pepper, sour cream

Serve hot with a cold vodka

Begin by soaking the scallops and putting water on to separately boil the yams and then begin the rest of your prep.  Sweat the onions, garlic, and ginger in a large soup pot, being careful not to let the brown.  Crank the heat to high and pop in the salmon, stirring infrequently to minimize breakage.  After 2 minutes, add the yams, and give a stir.  Let cook another 2 minutes and add in the liquid from the scallops.  Break the scallops up on a cutting board and toss those in as well.

Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 20 mins.  Like most soups, this one is better the day after, so I'd say that the final step would be to let sit overnight.

Help! I can't find dried scallops!  No doubt you cannot, but don't worry, they're optional for a reason.  Most Asian stores that carry dried goods will have dried scallops along with other dried seafood, have you tried there?  Note: Fresh scallops are not an adequate substitute.  In Montreal, you can find them in China town and sometimes at Kim Phat.  I got mine from another hole-in-the-wall Chinese market down in Brossard, next to an awesome Dim Sum place somewhere on Tascherau. They are by no means an easy find in Montreal.

Troubleshooting -- Broth is Too Sour:  It could be your court-bouillon was overly reduced or was simply too sour to start with.  Add a 1 tbsp of sugar and a tsp of salt to your broth before starting, or dissolved in water if your soup is already on the boil.