Jump to Recipe· 4.5 from 2 reviews

This Moroccan Fish Stew is loaded with a blend of fresh seafood and lots of Moroccan herbs and spices. Served with toasted bread it makes the most delicious and hearty dinner ever!

A bowl of Moroccan fish stew

This recipe was inspired by my dad. He used to make this soup for me every Winter with a crusty, toasted piece of bread, rubbed with fresh garlic.

If you’re a fan of Moroccan flavors paired with fish, be sure to try this oven-baked stuffed whole trout with chermoula rice.

Ingredients

Ingredients to make Moroccan fish stew

Instructions

Olive oil pouring into a pot
Chop onion finely and add to a large soup pot with olive oil over medium heat. While onions are sweating, chop squash, zucchini and potato into bite sized pieces.
Onions and potatoes in a pot
Peel and mince the garlic and fresh ginger. Once onions become translucent, add potatoes and saute for 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle flour over the potatoes and onions and continue to mix until they are evenly coated with flour.
Vegetables in a pot
To the pot, add minced preserved lemon, harissa, squash, zucchini, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic, ginger and bay leaves. Saute for another 2-3 minutes before adding the tomato puree, stock and minced herbs and bringing to a boil over medium high heat then covering.
A blend of seafood in a bowl
Cook for 5-10 minutes or until the vegetables are fully cooked through (you should be able to smoothly poke through the potatoes with a fork). At this point, add the scallops, fish, mussels or clams and shrimp.
Soup in a pot
Turn off the heat, cover and let the heat cook the seafood through for 10 minutes. Serve with a slice of toasted baguette and a drizzle of olive oil.
A bowl of Moroccan fish stew
Garnish with herbs & enjoy with bread.

Hint: you will know the seafood is cooked fully when the clam or mussel shells open completely. Toss any shells that don’t open up.

Substitutions

As mentioned above, there are a few special ingredients called for in this recipe. That said, you can still make this Moroccan Fish Stew successfully with a few simple substitutions. Read on for notes on that…

  • Harissa – this delicious Moroccan chili paste adds a great deal of flavor but can be left out completely if you can’t find it
  • Preserved lemon – swap the juice of 1 fresh lemon for ½ a preserved lemon if you can’t find them
  • Fresh seafood – sometimes finding fresh and quality seafood isn’t the easiest task. Use what you can find/what you like and don’t stress if you can’t find all 4 of the types I used in this recipe

Since my dad shared this recipe with me years ago, I’ve made many different variations, all equally delicious. Don’t be afraid to adapt the recipe and ingredients based on what is accessible to you!

A bowl of Moroccan fish stew

Top tip

Pay attention to your seafood once you add it to the pot to make sure it doesn’t overcook. Covering and turning off the heat allows the residual heat to cook everything through perfectly. The clams or mussels should open up and the shrimp should be pink.

A bowl of Moroccan fish stew

Bismillah,

Salima written in cursive
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A bowl of Moroccan fish stew

Moroccan Fish Stew

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Salima Benkhalti
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings
  • Category: Dinner, Main Dish, Lunch
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Moroccan, Mediterranean
  • Diet: Low Calorie
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Description

This Moroccan Fish Stew is loaded with a blend of fresh seafood and lots of Moroccan herbs and spices. Served with toasted bread it makes the most delicious and hearty dinner ever!

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 large yellow onion
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 potato
  • 2 inch piece of fresh ginger
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 1/2 of a preserved lemon, minced with seeds removed
  • 1 tsp harissa
  • 1 zucchini
  • 1 yellow squash
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1-16oz can tomato puree
  • 4 cups vegetable stock
  • 2 tbsp cilantro, minced
  • 2 tbsp parsley, minced
  • 1/2 lb shrimp
  • 1/2 lb cod
  • 1/2 lb clams or mussels
  • 1/2 lb scallops
  • (optional) baguette to serve with

Instructions

  1. Chop onion finely and add to a large soup pot with olive oil over medium heat. While onions are sweating, chop squash, zucchini and potato into bite sized pieces.
  2. Peel and mince the garlic and fresh ginger. Once onions become translucent, add potatoes and saute for 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle flour over the potatoes and onions and continue to mix until they are evenly coated with flour.
  3. To the pot, add minced preserved lemon, harissa, squash, zucchini, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic, ginger and bay leaves. Saute for another 2-3 minutes before adding the tomato puree, stock and minced herbs and bringing to a boil over medium high heat then covering.
  4. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until the vegetables are fully cooked through (you should be able to smoothly poke through the potatoes with a fork). At this point, add the scallops, fish, mussels or clams and shrimp.
  5. Turn off the heat, cover and let the heat cook the seafood through for 10 minutes. Serve with a slice of toasted baguette and a drizzle of olive oil.

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