Quick and Easy Tomato Fish Stew

This delicious tomato-based broth-y fish stew is filled to the brim with delicious vegetables and perfect for those cold winter months.

As the temperature starts dropping, soup and stews are the first things that come to mind when it's time to meal prep. They're hearty, easy to make, easy to store, and the best things to heat up in between errands and meetings. Make a single batch of this soup and you'll be set for several meals.

If you're looking for more hearty, rich soups, try my Kimchi Mushroom Soft Tofu Stew (Vegetarian) recipe or this rich Instant Pot Pork Bone Broth recipe that's the perfect base for any noodle soup.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• What type of fish should I use?
• Substitutions
• 📖 Recipe

Ingredients

• Firm, white fish: Use a white fish such as halibut or cod, something with firmer texture so it doesn't easily break away as it's being boiled. I'll be using cod in this recipe
• Spices: Use a mix of spices including paprika, cayenne pepper, cumin, turmeric, and white pepper powder.
• Garlic
• Celery
• Red bell pepper
• Red onion
• Canned peeled tomatoes: I like using whole peeled tomatoes and lightly mashing them while the broth is cooking. You can also use canned diced tomatoes.
• Chicken broth
• Dry white wine
• Scallions

Instructions

1. If you're using a frozen fish, de-thaw and then pat dry. Season fish fillets with cayenne, paprika, cumin, turmeric, and ground white pepper.
2. Prep vegetables. Mince garlic, dice red onion, and slice the celery and red bell pepper into 1-inch bite-sized pieces.
3. Heat up a large pot. Once heated, add olive oil and red onion. Cook down onion for about 4 minutes. Add minced garlic and sauté until light golden brown, about 2 minutes. Finally, add in celery and red bell pepper. Lightly sauté for about 2-3 minutes.
4. Next, add chicken broth, canned tomatoes, and white wine. Add in a shake each of the cayenne pepper, paprika, cumin, turmeric, and white pepper. Taste as you add to season to your liking. Bring to a boil and then let simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Finally, add in fish fillet and cook until fish is cooked and tender. Finish off with some rice vinegar.
6. Top with chopped green scallions and serve.

What type of fish should I use?

There are many types of fish that can be used to make fish soup. Some good options include cod, haddock, halibut, bass, and snapper. These fish have a firm, flaky texture that holds up well in stew and have a mild, slightly sweet flavor that pairs well with a variety of ingredients– such as the acidic tomatoes in this recipe.

Avoid using fish such as salmon or tuna that have much stronger flavors and would overwhelm the spices and other flavors in this dish.

Substitutions

• Pescatarian: If you're looking to make this dish pescatarian, sub the chicken broth for a vegetable or fish broth.
• Non-alcoholic: Skip the white wine completely in this recipe. If you'd still like that touch of acidity, replace the ½ cup of dry white wine with 1-2 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.
• Extra protein: If fish isn't enough, I like to add in another ½ lb of a seafood blend (I buy mine from Trader Joe's). Add in at the same time you're adding the fish.

📖 Recipe