This Spanish Fish Stew with Butter beans is a simple take on a traditional Mediterranean fish recipe. It's all cooked in one pot and ready in just 20 minutes. The fish cooks in a lovely tomato sauce, flavoured with sweet smoked paprika which gives it a depth of flavour. A few splashes of balsamic vinegar add a little sweetness. Butter beans go well in fish stew recipes as they help to soak up the liquid and take on some of the flavour. A nice sprinkling of fresh parsley sets this dish off nicely.
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This Spanish tomato-based fish recipe is light and full of flavour. For a similar recipe with a little more spice, try my popular Spanish Garlic Prawns which goes well with pasta.
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Ingredients
I've deliberately kept this fish stew recipe simple with minimal ingredients. Check out the variations and substitutions for other ingredients you can add in.
- Fish -You can use a variety of boneless white fish in this Spanish Fish Stew. For example, cod, coley, pollock, bass, hake, haddock, or halibut all go well. These are thicker or 'meatier' white fish. Flatter white fish such as sole or plaice will not hold together very well. You need to skin the fish and remove any bones before adding it.
- Paprika - The paprika in this recipe is what really brings alive the Spanish flavour. There is a difference between smoked paprika and sweet smoked paprika. I like to use the sweet smoked paprika as I find the sweetness goes nicely with the tomato sauce.
- Butter beans - butter beans are a great ingredient to add to stews as they soak up some of the flavour. Always drain and rinse them first before adding to the pan.
- Balsamic Vinegar - this adds some sweetness to the tomato sauce. If you don't have any you can leave it out.
- Fresh Parsley - again this is optional, but the fresh flavour lifts this fish stew.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
This simple Spanish Fish Stew recipe takes just 20 minutes.
In a large frying pan, heat the oil and fry the onion over a medium heat for 5-8 minutes until it softens.
Add the garlic, and paprika and fry for 1-2 minutes then add the balsamic vinegar. Frying the paprika helps to release the flavours.
Pour in the tomatoes and drained butter beans, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and stir together well.
Add the skinned and boned fish to the pan and simmer for 3-4 minutes until the fish is cooked through. Check your fish is cooked by removing a piece from the pan. If it flakes easily, it is cooked.
Top Tip
Don't leave the fish cooking for too long or it will be tough. Fish is cooked when it flakes easily and is opaque.
Variations and substitutions
This is a versatile dish and you can add additional ingredients if you wish.
- Fish - use any white meaty fish such as cod, pollock, hake, haddock etc. The beauty of a fish stew is that the flavours infuse the fish so it's a good opportunity to try something new. See what's available locally.
- Seafood - many Spanish Fish stew recipes also include seafood. You can add in prawns, mussels clams etc if you wish. Prawns can be added frozen.
- Potatoes - adding diced cubed potatoes can make the stew go further. Add at stage 3 and simmer until the potato is soft. Note, adding potatoes will increase the cooking time.
- Black Olives - a traditional Spanish ingredient, black olives will add a saltiness to the stew.
- Chickpeas - instead of butterbeans, you can use chickpeas.
Equipment
This is a great one-pot dish. A heavy-bottomed pan works best. You will also need a good sharp knife to skin the fish.
Serving Suggestion
A tomato based fish stew goes well with a side of couscous, steamed rice, crusty bread or a green salad. Top it off with some fresh parsley.
Storage
Spanish Fish Stew keeps well in the fridge for 2 - 3 days. You can also freeze it for 6 - 8 months. If you are making a batch, the best way to freeze it is to make the sauce, cool it, then stir in the uncooked fish and freeze. The fish will cook as you reheat and it will only take 3 - 4 minutes. Defrost it overnight in the fridge then re-heat in the pan until the fish is cooked through.
You can freeze the fish stew with cooked fish but consume it within one month as the texture of the cooked fish can change when it is frozen.
Sustainability
When shopping for fish, look for the Marine Stewardship Council logo. This logo means the fish has been sourced responsibly. The Marine Stewardship Council constantly monitors fish stocks in an effort to help preserve them for future generations. It also means the fish has been caught without damage to other marine life.
In this Spanish Fish Stew recipe, the olive oil, sweet smoked paprika, and blackpepper are all available as Fairtrade. Choosing Fairtrade products is such an important part of a sustainable diet. The Fairtrade organisation works with some of the world's poorest farmers. It not only ensures they receive a fair price for their products, but helps promote sustainable farming practices. Check out my most popular Fairtrade recipes.
Green Tip
Freeze any leftover parsley to avoid food waste. Just pop the stems in a freezer bag, squeeze out the air and they will be ready for next time.
FAQ
Yes, you can add the frozen fish straight to the stew and cook it from frozen. The cooking time will be a few minutes longer. Remove the skin from the fish and any bones, then dice the fish into bite sized pieces.
More Simple Fish Recipes
Looking for other simple fish recipes recipes like this? Try these:
- Fish Korma20 Minutes
- Tray Baked Cod with Pesto30 Minutes
- Pan Fried Plaice Fillets15 Minutes
- Simple Grilled Haddock Fillets15 Minutes
📖 Recipe
Simple Spanish Fish Stew with Butter Beans
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Ingredients
Spanish Fish and Chickpea Stew
- 1 tablespoon olive oil fairtrade available
- 2 onions peeled and chopped
- 2 garlic cloves peeled and crushed
- 4 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika fairtrade available
- 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 800 g chopped tomatoes tinned or canned
- 400 g butter beans tinned or canned, drained and rinsed
- 1 dash salt
- 1 dash black pepper freshly ground, fairtrade available
- 1 kg white fish fillets about 250g / 8oz per person. Boned, skinned cut bite-sized chunks
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped, to garnish
Instructions
- In a large frying pan, heat the oil and fry the onion over a medium heat for 5-8 minutes until it softens.1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 onions
- Add the garlic, and paprika and fry for 1-2 minutes then add the balsamic vinegar. Frying the paprika helps to release the flavours.2 garlic cloves, 4 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika, 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- Pour in the tomatoes and drained butter beans, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and stir together well.800 g chopped tomatoes, 400 g butter beans, 1 dash salt, 1 dash black pepper
- Add the skinned and boned fish to the pan and simmer for 3-4 minutes until the fish is cooked through. Check your fish is cooked by removing a piece from the pan. If it flakes easily, it is cooked. Serve with the chopped fresh parsley.1 kg white fish fillets, 2 tablespoon fresh parsley
Notes
Ingredient Notes
-
- Fish -You can use a variety of boneless white fish in this Spanish Fish Stew. For example, cod, coley, pollock, hake, haddock, or halibut all go well. These are thicker or 'meatier' white fish. Flatter white fish such as sole or plaice will not hold together very well. You need to skin the fish and remove any bones before adding it.
-
- Paprika - The paprika in this recipe is what really brings alive the Spanish flavour. There is a difference between smoked paprika and sweet smoked paprika. I like to use the sweet smoked paprika as I find the sweetness goes nicely with the tomato sauce.
-
- Butter beans - butter beans are a great ingredient to add to stews as they soak up some of the flavour. Always drain and rinse them first before adding to the pan.
-
- Balsamic Vinegar - this adds some sweetness to the tomato sauce. If you don't have any you can leave it out.
-
- Fresh Parsley - again this is optional, but the fresh flavour lifts this fish stew.
Serving Suggestions
A tomato based fish stew goes well with a side of couscous, steamed rice, crusty bread or a green salad. Top it off with some fresh parsley.Storage
Spanish Fish Stew keeps well in the fridge for 2 - 3 days. You can also freeze it for 6 - 8 months. If you are making a batch, the best way to freeze it is to make the sauce, cool it, then stir in the uncooked fish and freeze. The fish will cook as you reheat and it will only take 3 - 4 minutes. Defrost it overnight in the fridge then re-heat in the pan until the fish is cooked through. You can freeze the fish stew with cooked fish but consume it within one month as the texture of the cooked fish can change when it is frozen.Nutrition per serving
The Nutritional Values are computer generated estimates based on industry standards and are provided as a helpful guide only.
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