Let’s hear it for comfort food! This fish stew delivers a mix of garden freshness with the deep flavors of the sea. Easy to make at home and ready in less than 45 minutes!
Making this fish stew has become one of my favorite winter meals because it’s incredibly easy to make but tastes like high end South of France food. Briny, smokey, savory and full of aromatics, it’s absolutely delicious!
Ready in under 45 minutes, I think you’ll be shocked by the amount of flavor you can develop in such a short time in your own kitchen!
Ingredients Needed
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Use the good stuff. Starting your aromatics simmering in first press olive oil will set the tone for the entire dish.
- Minced Garlic: Garden fresh pungence is at the core of this fish soup. This is an important layer.
- Anchovy Fillets: There’s no need to make fish stock with these little flavor bombs at your fingertips. When mixed with your white wine and chicken (or veggie) stock, you’ll taste the Medeterrenean in record time!
- Leeks: With its mild onion flavor and light chew, leeks help develop the freshness factor in this heady soup.
- Red or Yellow Bell Pepper: A pop of color and a dash of sweetness is what peppers bring to this otherwise savory stew.
- Fresh Tomatoes: Adding chopped fresh tomatoes brings a bright, acid twist and more garden goodness to the party!
- White Wine: This is super important to the overall flavor! Choose a dry white wine you enjoy drinking on its own.
- Low Sodium Chicken Stock: Why low-sodium? Because the anchovy filets bring the salt to this yummy fish broth. Chicken broth delivers a deep, soulfulness to this fish stew. As an alternative, you can use vegetable broth if you prefer.
- Skinless Boneless Fish Fillets: I prefer halibut, cod or sea bass (more on this in a sec).
- Flat Leaf Parsley: This is where you get the real essence of the garden! With it’s natural brightness, parsley seems to be the great unifier of all the savory flavors in this delicious stew.
Best Fish To Use
A sturdy yet delicate white fish is usually best when making fish stew. You want it to stand up to being simmered with vegetables in broth without falling apart – but it should also be pleasingly tender when eaten. I prefer boneless cod, halibut or sea bass.
Steer clear of fish which is too tough or super oily (like a tuna steak or mackerel). They just won’t work as well in this delicate fish stew.
How To Make It
Scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe.
- Start with a large saucepan over medium heat – and add olive oil, garlic, anchovies, leek, and bell pepper. Cook that mixture for 4 minutes, until the garlic becomes fragrant.
- Add chopped tomatoes and white wine. Stir and cook for 3 minutes.
- Then add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
- Finally, add fish fillets and cook for 5 minutes, or until it is cooked through.
- Serve in bowls topped with flat leaf parsley. Season with salt and pepper if needed.
What To Serve With It
As a starter, or as a main course – it can be served however you like.
Pair this French inspired stew with a salad, a vegetable side dish, a casserole, or even a sandwich. Here are a few options:
- Broccoli Salad With Honey Mustard Dressing
- Nicoise Salad
- Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers
- Tuna Salad Sandwich
- One-Pot Quinoa Enchilada With Shredded Chicken
Did you like this recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
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Easy Comforting Fish Stew
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 32 mins
- Total Time: 42 minutes
- Yield: serves 4
- Category: Stew
- Method: Simmered
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Low Calorie
Description
A briny, smokey, and savory fish stew that’s beyond comforting.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
- 1 stalk leek, finely chopped
- 1 red or yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and julienned
- 1 cup fresh tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock
- 1 1/4 pound skinless, boneless fish fillets such as halibut, cod or sea bass, cut into bite size pieces
- 3 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Add the aromatics: In a large saucepan over medium heat, add olive oil, garlic, anchovies, leek, and bell pepper. Cook for 4 minutes, until garlic becomes fragrant.
- Stir in tomatoes and white wine: Add tomatoes and white wine, stir and cook for 3 minutes.
- Add the stock: Add the chicken stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
- Cook the fish: Add the fish and cook for 5 minutes, until the fish is cooked through.
- Serve: Divide the stew among serving bowls and top with chopped flat leaf parsley. Season with salt and pepper if needed.
Notes
This fish stew is best when served fresh. Leftovers can be kept covered in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 240
- Sugar: 3.8g
- Sodium: 670mg
- Fat: 11.5g
- Saturated Fat: 1.7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 8.6g
- Fiber: 1.8g
- Protein: 20.6g
- Cholesterol: 55.8mg
I use fish stock ( no anchovies needed) and finely sliced fennel bulb instead of leeks. Also add some safran and serve with grilled sourdough and aioli.
A true warming dish with lots of flavours
Especially good in chilly or cold weather. At the end, I topped it with chopped tarragon instead of parsley. Also really good.
Delicious, even using cod
I had few pieces of freshwater bone-in salmon which isn’t as flavourful as the saltwater salmon and was browsing through recipes and found this one. The stew turned out great. I think I’ll try to make it with other boneless fish next time. Thank you!
My grand mum likes fish stew. I will try the same recipe at once for her. Thank you for sharing such healthy content.
Thank you Philip! 🙂
This fish stew recipe is unique and simple, I really liked it. I will try it once. Thanks for the amazing recipe.
Delicious! I used a can of diced tomatoes because that’s what I had. Extra anchovies because I love that salty flavor. Served with baguettes to sop up the juice.
Thank you Amy! 🙂
Hi! The recipe fish stew is an amazing recipe .It is healthy .I will try it .