Mediterranean Fish Stew - Psarosoupa
Tender cod simmers in an aromatic broth with tender vegetables in Mediterranean-inspired fish stew with cod, tomatoes, and potatoes. The perfect budget-friendly weeknight meal that you can make in under 30 minutes.
Mediterranean fish stew is healthy, light, and delicious. Loved by kids and adults alike this recipe is not overly fishy but is full of flavor.
This hearty fish stew, known as Psarosoupa (fish soup) is a staple in Greek homes during the winter. Add a simple salad, some freshly baked homemade rustic bread to make a satisfying, complete meal.
The origin of this fish stew recipe is my Greek mother, who happens to be an amazing cook.
When I was in college, I was missing her home-cooked meals and when I called to ask her for an easy recipe that I could prepare once and eat several times, she reminded me of this easy fish stew recipe that I so loved.
Living in Fort Collins, my local Safeway was a bike ride away so it was easy enough to pick up the ingredients to prepare this delicious soup. I would make a large pot on a Sunday night and have the leftovers for lunch and dinner all week long unless my roommates got to it first.
My mother's ingenious shortcut for this recipe is one that you can totally use as well - pre-cut frozen O'Brien potatoes. The potatoes are chopped and have peppers and onions mixed in so that saves on chopping time and fewer ingredients to buy.
If I'm in a hurry - I'll still use the frozen potatoes, but the recipe below is scratch-made, which takes about 5 extra minutes to peel and chop the potatoes, pepper, and onion.
This recipe is on regular rotation at my house all winter long, especially during Lent when cod is on sale and it's still soup weather.
Ingredients
- cod
- flour
- onion powder
- cumin
- salt
- pepper
- paprika
- olive oil
- garlic
- onion, diced
- potatoes, chopped
- celery
- carrots
- bell pepper
- oregano
- fresh thyme
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- vegetable broth or water
- juice of 1 lemon
How to Make Fish Stew
Prepare the seasoned flour by combining the flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, ¼ teaspoon cumin, paprika and onion powder onto a large plate. Stir well to combine.
Pat the cod dry with paper towels then dredge the cod into the seasoned flour until coated on both sides.
Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven until shimmering.
Add the seasoned cod and cook until browned - about 4 minutes each side. Remove the fish from the pot and reserve it on a plate.
By cooking the cod first, you are adding flavor to the pot, which flavors the vegetables and broth when you scrape up the brown bits from the fish.
Meanwhile, add the minced garlic and diced onion to the pot and saute for 1-2 minutes, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Add carrots, celery, bell pepper, and saute for an additional 2 -3 minutes, stirring often to soften the vegetables.
Add broth, diced tomatoes and remaining cumin, dried oregano, fresh thyme, salt and pepper to the soup.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Add the cod back to the pot and simmer for 20 - 30 minutes until the carrots and potatoes are tender. Stir and gently break apart the cod so that it's fully incorporated into the soup.
Top with freshly squeezed lemon juice and serve with crusty bread for a complete meal.
Mediterranean Fish Stew
Ingredients
- 1 lb. cod
- ¼ cup flour
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin divided
- ½ teaspoon salt divided
- ½ teaspoon pepper divided
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 medium potatoes peeled and diced in 2 inch cubes
- 2 celery ribs chopped
- 2 carrots peeled and chopped
- 1 medium bell pepper diced
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
- 2-3 cups vegetable broth or water
- juice of 1 lemon fresh squeezed
Instructions
- Prepare the seasoned flour by combining the flour, salt, pepper, cumin, paprika and onion powder onto a large plate. Stir well to combine.
- Pat the cod dry with paper towels then dredge the cod into the seasoned flour until coated on both sides.
- Heat olive oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven until shimmering.
- Add the seasoned cod and cook until browned - about 4 minutes each side. Remove the fish from the pot and reserve it on a plate.
- Meanwhile, add minced garlic and diced onion to the pot and saute 1-2 minutes, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add carrots, celery, bell pepper and potatoes and saute for an additional 2 -3 minutes, stirring often to soften the vegetables.
- Add broth, diced tomatoes and remaining cumin, dried oregano, fresh thyme, salt and pepper to the soup.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Add the cod back to the pot and simmer for 30 minutes until the carrots and potatoes are tender.
- Top with freshly squeezed lemon juice and serve with crusty bread.
Notes
- For an easy shortcut - you can use a bag of frozen O'Brien potatoes in place of the diced potatoes, pepper, and onion. Add to the pot when you add the carrots and celery and cook until the carrots are tender.
Nutrition
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