Caribbean Fish Stew {Whole30}

Caribbean Fish stew is an easy and delicious way to cook fish in less than 1 hour. Seasoned fish filets simmer in a vibrant tomato-based stew filled with fresh herbs and vegetables.

Caribbean Fish Stew

Growing up there were two types of stews that my mom made. Brown stew—where burnt sugar (a dark brown sugar caramel) was used to give the stew a rich brown color. And red stew or tomato paste stew—where tomatoes and tomato paste come together to give the stew a vibrant red hue.

I love both kinds of stew but red stew is especially yummy. It’s bright, flavorful, and fragrant. And by the way, we never called it red stew, we simply called it stew.

Why You’ll Love This Fish Stew Recipe

• Quick & Easy: Fish stew takes just 40 minutes to prepare so it works great as a nutritious weeknight meal.
• Versatile: There are many types of fish stew across cuisines (Brazilian, Italian, Spanish, Morrocan, Portuguese, and Mediterranean) and even this Caribbean variation can be customized to suit your taste buds.
• Comfort Food: Served fresh and hot from the pot, this stew is super filling but doesn’t leave you feeling heavy like richer stews made with beef or chicken can.

Ingredients for Caribbean Fish Stew

This easy fish stew recipe is made with simple ingredients.

• Salmon filets: For this recipe, I am using fresh salmon, but you can easily use frozen salmon or any other type of fish.
• Aromatics: Yellow onion, garlic cloves, and tomatoes are a delicious foundation for flavor.
• Vegetables: I use yellow squash and carrots for added nutrients and a colorful presentation.
• Thyme: sub for a tablespoon of dried thyme leaves
• Spicy brown mustard: Spicy brown mustard often contains a mix of brown and black mustard seeds, giving it a more complex flavor profile than yellow mustard. It can have earthy, nutty, and slightly bitter notes, adding depth to your recipes.
• Salt: For taste.
• Tomato paste: This adds a bright acidity to the stew.
• Coconut aminos: This Whole30 alternative to soy sauce balances out some of the acidity in the tomato paste.
• Olive oil: Use this to sauté your veggies.
• Water: This is the liquid base of the stew. Rather than use a veggie broth or seafood stock, I use water to cut back on sodium and additives.

Fish Seasoning:

I love using pantry staples to season my fish.

• Fresh lemon juice
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Ground ginger
• Black pepper
• Salt

See recipe card for quantities.

How to Make Fish Stew

Prepare Fish

Traditionally when making fish stew, I flour and fry my fish first then add it to my stew. But while on Whole30, I broil my fish (unfloured), and skin side up for 5 to 8 minutes before adding it to the stew. Nothing is lost in flavor or texture with this method versus doing it the traditional way.

Making the Stew

This fish stew is rich in flavor with fresh herbs and vegetables. I love sautéing up some onion, garlic and tomatoes first, then adding parsley. This is how I start most stews.

I love adding a little bit of mustard and lots of tomato paste to brighten up the stew. To help balance out some of the acidity of the tomatoes and tomato paste, I added some coconut aminos to the stew. Typically my mom would add a little bit of sugar but it is not needed.

The key to this dish is to get the stew right before adding the fish. When the tomatoes and herbs cook down to a beautiful thick paste I know I am on my way to an exciting flavor experience.

Adding Vegetables

When my mom makes fish stew she adds a few fresh callaloo (spinach) leaves or some times some steamed ochro/a. I add whatever veggies I have on hand or need to get rid of (veggies that are close to spoiling). For this recipe, I added some yellow squash and julienne carrots!

Then I added some water to form a sauce and topped the stew off with some fresh thyme. Dried thyme works just as well here, if you don’t have fresh thyme.

Confession, I only recently started choosing fresh herbs over dried herbs. Historically I love easy and simple cooking, so I like to just use pantry staples for most of my dishes. As I’ve grown in my cooking, I’ve expanded to include fresh herbs and vegetables in my recipes but honestly don’t discount dried herbs and spices!

Adding the Fish to the Stew

When the stew is ready, I add in the broiled salmon (skin side up) to prevent the skin from getting too soggy. I spoon some of the gravy from the stew over the fish, cover it, and let it simmer on medium-low for about 10 minutes.

Then I serve my stew with a nice side of root vegetables. When I made this dish for dinner I served it with a side of “boil and fry” cassava. Boil and fry is a term Guyanese people give to any dish that requires boiling ground provisions/root vegetables until tender, then sautéing them up before serving.

Storage

Once the stew has completely cooled, store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat gently over medium heat on the stove or in the microwave until warmed through.

Recipe Variations

• Fish: Don’t like salmon? You can use cod, snapper, or tilapia instead.
• Seasoning: Here I am using granulated garlic, salt, onion powder, black pepper and some ground ginger. You can also season your fish with my seafood dry rub that I use In this Oven Broiled Salmon recipe.
• Veggies: Don’t have fresh tomatoes? Don’t sweat it. You can also use canned tomatoes or just tomato paste.
• Creamy Fish Stew Recipe: Want a more velvety consistency? Consider adding increments of coconut milk.

Tips for the Best Fish Stew

• Build layers of flavor by sautéing aromatics like onions and garlic, in oil or butter until they’re soft and fragrant. This forms a flavorful base for your stew.
• Do not simmer the stew for more than 10 minutes. If overcooked, the fish will fall apart and taste tough.
• Like many stews, fish stew often tastes even better the next day as the flavors have had time to meld.

Frequently Asked Questions