This post is sponsored by Hood® Sour Cream but all opinions expressed here are my own.
Easy 20-Minutes Fish Stew cooked in a delicious, rich and fragrant broth, topped with fresh cilantro and served over quinoa or rice!
Growing up in Brazil, Fish Stew (known as Moqueca) was always a hot item on the menu. Each family would add their own touch but overall the dish consisted of white fish cooked in a delicious and flavorful broth, with or without spices but always with coconut milk as a base and fragrant palm oil.
Nowadays I continue to make fish stew a tradition for my family and have tried other variations such as this Salmon Stew. But as the years have passed, I’ve settled for more approachable terms when it comes to making fish stew, such as using fresh wild cod instead of salted cod which required a day long of soaking to de-salt the fish. Additionally I’ve adapted my recipe without the use palm oil due to the shameful practices around the sourcing of such delicacy.
On the other hand I found that the recipe still needed a bonding ingredient to tie all the flavors together and add the perfect touch to the dish.
The final product came to fruition with the addition of sour cream. I always cook with high quality ingredients so that is why I chose Hood® Sour Cream, a trusted name for generations of New England families. It really elevated my recipe, creating the most amazing combination of flavors and richness that was tastier than ever!
You may also like to try this delicious Portuguese Shrimp Mozambique or
Salmon Stew!
How to Make Fish Stew
The main characteristic of a fish stew is the broth. Without it, it’s just fish. The broth is the flavoring base for this fish, and it is made of a combination of ingredients.
When making a fish stew you work on the broth first. The fish will cook rather quick, so it cannot be done the other way around. Plus the broth is what’s going to add flavor to the fish along the cilantro. Cilantro haters can most certainly opt for parsley.
Once the broth is done, you add the cod chunks so it cooks thoroughly during a short period of time. If you were to cook the cod whole for a longer period of time, the edges would drastically fall apart leaving you with one piece that looks a lot smaller then the one you originally placed on the pan.
Trust me on this one!
In 20 short minutes you will have dinner on the table!
To learn more about Hood Sour Cream, get fresh new recipe ideas and print out coupons, head over to their website!
Easy 20-Minutes Fish Stew cooking in a delicious and rich broth!
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 whole white onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 lb wild cod
- 15 oz can diced tomato
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1/2 cup Hood Sour Cream
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 whole red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 whole green pepper, sliced
- 1 pinch sea salt + pepper, to taste
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp fresh cilantro
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Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion and garlic, cook until fragrant (3 mins). Add can of diced tomato, stir. Proceed to add in coconut milk, Hood Sour Cream and tomato paste. Give mixture a stir and allow it to cook for 2-3 mins.
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Next add sliced peppers and cod chunks. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Cover and allow fish to simmer for 10-12 minutes. About 3/4 of the way carefully turn the cod pieces that are not completely immersed in broth.
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When done, remove from stove and sprinkle fresh cilantro. Serve over quinoa or rice.
Is there a substitute for the coconut milk for those allergic to coconut?
Hi JoJo! I have never tried without coconut milk personally but I do know that two good (similar) substitutes for coconut milk is almond and cashew milk because they both have that similar nutty and creamy consistency. Hope this helps!
I used a 28 oz can of tomatoes, 1 cup of sour cream and a can of coconut milk. It came out a paler color than the nice orange in the picture – maybe it needed more tomato.
I added fish sauce because I usually make Thai food with coconut milk
Fish sauce sounds delicous! Not sure why yours didn’t have the orange color, only thing I can think of is the tomato sauce itself, different brand yield different results. Did it taste good?
The canned coconut milk is richer than the carton. The broth comes out more like a vodka sauce than a broth. I’d suggest using a 1:1 with water (or maybe a white wine) if using the canned coconut milk. My preference is for a broth so, while this recipe was very tasty and easy, I’ll be experimenting with it in the future. Thanks for posting
Did you use canned coconut milk, which is thicker and richer? Or do you use the kind in a carton? Thanks
Honestly I love BOTH, the canned coconut milk is definitely richer if you don’t mind the stronger taste but I actually used the carton coconut milk for this recipe. Both will work just fine! Personally, I think the canned option is better but that’s probably because I grew up eating it this way.
I used the canned and, while very good, the broth consistency was more like a creamy vodka sauce. My preference would be for a broth over a sauce. So, if using canned I would suggest mixing 1:1 with water or maybe white wine. The carton of coconut milk would make a less rich “broth” without diluting. All in all, excellent recipe. Thanks for submitting
Hi Rick! yes you can adjust the ingredients to have more broth. I honestly have done it both ways and love it just as much as a thicker sauce.
Hello!
Can I replace catfish for the cod?
Thanks!
Hi Ana! The best substitute for cod is actually haddock but you can try the catfish in this recipe.
Hello, i’m allergic to dairy. Can I substitute the cream cheese for something else?
Hi Natasha! There is no cream cheese required in this recipe. Either you were looking at something else or you mean sour cream? in this case you can try cooking it without the sour cream.
Do you think greek yogurt would work?
I have never tested with greek yogurt but as far as consistency it should work, just not sure about the taste. If you end up trying please let me know the outcome. Thanks!
I substituted sour cream with coconut milk and it was still delicious. I hope that helps you.
Thanks so much for your feedback Trisha. I often substitute for coconut milk too and it’s amazing! 🙂
Would stripe bass work do you think? My husband and I have a ton from our fishing trip
Yes, it will! But you might have to let it cook a bit longer. Check the inside of the fish once in a while to make sure it is cooked through.
Delicious, I doubled the recipe. Cooked as is
Nice!! So soooo happy you liked it! 🙂
The green pepper in the recipe, is that green bell pepper?
Yes! sorry, will add to the description 🙂
Hi! What size sour cream did you take 1/2 from? I am located in Ga and could not find the Hood brand anywhere.
Hi Chelsea, I used a 1/2 cup of Hood sour cream and I usually buy the big tub 16oz. I did look it up for your and it doesn’t look like Hood is available in Georgia, unfortunately.
Can I substitute salmon for the cod?
Absolutely! Hope you enjoy it 🙂
I don’t know but I’m actually going to try that myself. Why wouldn’t that be good?
Hi. This was delicious. I made this tonight and used evaporated milk instead of coconut milk because my daughter has allergies to coconut and it came out wonderful! This recipe is definitely a hit even with my hubby and my 11 year old. I even forgot to add the sour cream and we still all approved. I didn’t read far enough that is was good over rice so we had this with those Red Lobster rolls you can make at home. ( my daughter helped with those as I was getting the stew ready)! Thanks again a very nice family dinner
Thank you so much Crystal for your feedback, it made my day! I am so happy to hear that this was a hit with your family. It is a good feeling, isn’t it? I have four kids and I know how hard it is to please everyone so when I do, it feels awesome!
This is my go to reciepe for something quick and delicious. I have made it at least 4 times. I’m deciding to go pescatarian, so this will be a great staple meal for me.
That’s amazing Candace, good for you! My daughter who is 13 years old decided to be a pescatarian last year, it’s been about 8mo (I can’t believe how faithful she is to this diet!). I make this recipe often for her, for all of us really and it hits the spot every time. Thanks for trying it out, and also thanks for stopping by to share your feedback with me. Best luck if you decide to go pescatarian, and let me know how I can help you with that! hugs 🙂
Do you drain the tomatoes?
Hi Sue! No, I don’t drain my tomatoes because together with the coconut milk and sour cream, they make a wonderful sauce.
I made this tonight using unsweetened vanilla almond milk instead of coconut milk (because that is what I had in the refrigerator) and it was delicious. This is the first time I have prepared/eaten fish stew and I loved it. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for trying my recipe and string your feedback Crystal! Just so you know I recently published a similar recipe using salmon, so that might be something to try next 🙂
Has anyone tried freezing this? I typically batch cook to freeze in mason jars. I’m just not sure about the coconut milk when defrosted.
I have froze the sauce before but not the fish. There is never any left 🙂 but the sauce is delicious and I usually freeze it and it’s perfect!
Silvia , It is actually easy and very tasty, thank you!
Thanks so much Alyssa, I am so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Silvia, it looks perfect and tasty! Can’t wait to have this anytime of the day, love it!
That’s great to hear, thanks so much Olga!!
I have whiting fish. Can I use that?
Yes, but cooking times may be different. Keep a close eye!
Does Whole Cream Mill work in this?
yes it will!
Can we use frozen cod? Or any frozen white fish cut in chunk and cooked for a little longerr? Its hard here to get good fresh fish 🙁
You can use frozen fish, that not a problem. However, it will take a little bit longer to cook but if you use thin cuts, it really doesn’t take much time.
Super good, super easy! Loved it.
So happy to hear that you loved it my fish stew recipe!