Probably the most forgiving dish you can make if you want robust flavor, easy cooking and low carb or keto adaptable is a Mexican Fish Stew (aka Sopa de Pescado). This stew is one of those dishes that combines great flavor with healthy ingredients and is a snap to get on the table. I used the typical white fish, but I also added some mussels and scallops which essentially makes it a Mexican ”Seafood” Stew. Frozen seafood works very well in this recipe.
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Best Fish or Seafood to Use in a Mexican Fish Stew
I live in Minnesota and happen to have a friend that does a lot of ice fishing, so it was easy to get my hands on some fresh white fish the first time I made this. Any kind of white fish is great to use, with cod or red snapper being some classics.
I added some small scallops and some frozen mussels to the fish and the result was a mixtures of textures and tastes that made it feel like fancy restaurant food.
The next time I made this dish I left out the scallops as they had become very expensive and went with tilapia, cod and mussels. It did not suffer in flavor whatsoever!
After deciding on the seafood I then spiced it up with a Mexican fish spice blend and some sautéed vegetables.
Is Mexican Seafood Stew Spicy?
You can also change it up by the type of spice you use. Since this was a Mexican stew or soup, I went with a mix of pasilla, ancho and chipotles for a smokey, medium heat chile flavor profile.
The cilantro and lemon brightened it up considerably and the result was a complex, robust stew with smoky notes as well as bright fresh notes.
Low Carb Breads & Accompaniments
The bread you see with the fish stew photo at the top of this post was Ezekiel bread. No bread is really completely low carb (aka keto), but Ezekiel bread is pretty low in carbs and the healthiest one around in my opinion. You will usually find it in the cooler or frozen bread section of the grocery store.
There are also some low carb tortilla alternatives available now, both pre-made and DIY recipes.
If you’re craving authentic homemade Mexican corn tortillas, this recipe and video tutorial will help.
More Mexican Seafood Recipes:
- For another delicious low carb Mexican fish dinner that mixes olives, capers and tomatoes with a mix of seafood, this Mexican Fish Veracruz is perfect.
- How about some Mexican fish tacos?
- Low carb Mexican Scallop Ceviche is one of the easiest
Recipe for Mexican Fish Stew (Sopa de Pescado)
Mexican Seafood Stew
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 med onion chopped
- 2-3 carrots sliced (about 1/4” thickness)
- 2 jalapenos halved lengthwise, seeded and finely chopped
- 3 med celery stalks sliced (about 1/4” thickness)
- 3-6 cloves garlic smashed or minced
- 1 teaspoon Fish spice blend DIY blend in Notes section
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme crushed
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 4 cups chicken broth
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- 1-2 14 oz cans Rotel diced tomatoes
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 leaves bay
- 1-2 lbs. white fish (chopped into 1-inch chunks) can use mix of cod, tilapia, scallops, walleye, etc.
- 1 lb mussels
- 2 med limes, cut into wedges optional
- 1 med lemon ,sliced for garnish
Instructions
- Heat oil over med-high heat in a dutch oven or large pot. Saute onion, carrot, jalapeños and celery in oil for 5-10 minutes until translucent. Add smashed garlic and cook for 1 more minute2 Tablespoon olive oil, 1 med onion, 2-3 carrots, 2 jalapenos, 3 med celery stalks, 3-6 cloves garlic
- Add spices and stir in to the onion mixture to coat. Add wine, broth, cilantro, tomatoes, salt & bay leaves to pot and simmer together for 15-20 minutes over medium heat. Taste and add more salt if needed.1 teaspoon Fish spice blend, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 cup dry white wine, 4 cups chicken broth, 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, 1-2 14 oz cans Rotel diced tomatoes, 1/2 tsp salt, 3 leaves bay
- Add all fish to the pot and cook, covered for 3-5 minutes or until mussels open and white fish is opaque.1-2 lbs. white fish (chopped into 1-inch chunks), 1 lb mussels
- Ladel into bowls and serve with lime wedges, sour cream and crispy tortilla chips.2 med limes, cut into wedges
Video
Notes
- 1/2 tsp dried chipotle powder,
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
Nutrition
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John Dvoracek
Tuesday 27th of July 2021
Near Austin, TX we are blessed with many authentic Mexican restaurants (not Tex-Mex). We were discussing where to go for Caldo de Pescado when we decided to just look for a recipe and cook a pot ourselves. This fish soup/stew turned out BETTER than any we've had in a restaurant! Slight recipe modifications included ground rainbow pepper replacing smoky pepper blend, Hunt's fire roasted diced tomatoes replacing Rotel, 10 oz halibut replacing walleye (not available) and whitefish, and small shrimp replacing mussels (uncooked not available). Two of us added a few drops of Cholula hot sauce, and we accompanied the soup with fresh flour tortillas from our grocery. We highly recommend this recipe.
dorothy stainbrook
Wednesday 28th of July 2021
I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe John! It’s great that you were able to modify with your preferences and availability and it still turned out good. I’m going to have to try some of your modifications next time I make it!