Tomato-Based White Wine Fish Soup

Ingredients

• 0.5 teaspoon pepper black freshly ground
• 1 cup carrots thinly sliced
• 16 ounce bottled clam juice 
• 1 cup wine dry white
• 1 cup fennel bulb chopped
• 1.5 teaspoons tarragon fresh chopped
• 0.5 teaspoon thyme sprigs fresh chopped
• 2  garlic clove minced
• 0.5 pound pacific halibut filets skinless cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1.5 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1 cup onion chopped
• 1 cup bell pepper red chopped
• 0.5 pound scallops 
• 0.5 pound shrimp deveined peeled chopped
• 5 tablespoons tomato paste 

Equipment

• frying pan
• dutch oven

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
2. Add onion to pan; saut 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add garlic; saut 1 minute, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium.
4. Add tomato paste to pan; cook 7 minutes or until paste begins to brown, stirring occasionally.
5. Add fennel and next 4 ingredients (through clam juice); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until vegetables are just tender. Stir in shrimp, scallops, and fish. Cover and cook 5 minutes or until fish is done. Gently stir in tarragon, chopped thyme, and pepper.
6. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired.