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    Home » Seafood » Creamy Seafood Stew

    Creamy Seafood Stew

    Published: Jan 31, 2022 by Sharee · This post may contain affiliate links

    2271 shares
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    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Creamy Seafood Stew has a creamy texture, full of seafood, and has delicious flavor from the blackening seasoning and coconut milk we added to this dish. You can get this one pot meal on the table in 30 minutes!

    Seafood soup in two white bowls with spoons and drink on gray table with parsley garnish

    What is Seafood Stew?

    This is inspired by Brazilian fish stews also known as Moqueca, where they use coconut milk and tomatoes to make a smooth delicious soup base. We follow most of the popular ingredients Brazilian fish soups call for but, we decided to add some creole seasoning and wine for an extra layer of flavor and to give more depth to the recipe. Although this is a cream-based recipe, it still has a light and delicate soup base.

    Why This Recipe Works

    This is an easy to make recipe that is great comfort food for cold and rainy days. This one pot recipe helps cut your cooking time and clean up! Saving time is always a win win when we can.

    What Goes Into This Recipe

    Recipe ingredients in bowls on white board including milk leeks celery tomato paste and peppers

    Coconut Milk– Coconut milk is a popular ingredient in Brazilian fish soups giving it a slightly sweet taste that is not too overbearing.

    Leeks– Leeks have a sweet onion taste that is great for soups.  

    Recipe ingredients in bowls on white board including cod fish shrimp and bay leaf.

    Cod– We are using firmer fish so the fish doesn’t break down into crumbles so that we have a chunkier soup with nice size pieces of fish.

    Ingredients wine clam juice olive oil creole seasoning salt and pepper in bowls on white board.

    How To Make This Recipe

    Cooking process photos showing cooking vegetables then adding liquids seafood and coconut milk to make recipe.
    1. Heat large sauce pan using medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the olive oil. Then add the leeks, garlic, red peppers and celery to the pan.
    2. Let the vegetables cook for about four to five minutes until soft. Make sure to stir the vegetables while they cook.
    3. Next, add your blackening seasoning, tomato paste and bay leaves to the pot and stir well until combined.
    4. Add the wine and clam juice to the pot and stir until combined. Cook the soup mixture for about two minutes using medium heat.
    5. Now add the fish and shrimp to the soup mixture and gently stir until well combined making sure not to break up fish pieces. Using medium heat, cook the soup for five minutes or until the fish and shrimp have cooked through.
    6. Turn the heat off and add the coconut milk. Gently stir until combined.
    7. Add additional creole seasoning to taste. Salt and pepper the soup mixture to taste. Remove bay leaves and serve immediately.

    Expert Tips

    Easier Meal Prep – You can make prep for this meal easier if you purchased shrimp that have already been shelled and cleaned.

    Don’t over salt – If you use store bought blackening or creole seasoning, please take caution in reference to the salt content in your selected seasoning.  There are some low sodium store bought seasonings available. 

    Coconut flavor tips – If you decide to add more blackening or creole seasoning, it may take away from the coconut flavor. 

    How to prevent the coconut milk from breaking down and curdling – Make sure to stir the coconut milk until it is well combined before adding it to the pot. Also, add the coconut milk in last after everything has cooked. Before adding the coconut milk into the pot, turn off the heat. Bringing the coconut milk to a boil will cause the coconut milk to breakdown with a gritty consistency, and the soup won’t be as creamy.

    Variations

    Fish – Cod fish may be easier to find and the cheaper choice. I have used both red snapper and cod when testing this recipe to share with great results. Haddock (a firm fish also part of the cod family) is also another fish substitute to use if this is available to you.

    Scallops– You can add scallops if you want more seafood added. Add the scallops at the end of cooking time for the seafood. This prevents over cooking the scallops, which can make them rubbery.

    Onions- If it’s hard to find leeks, use yellow onions instead. Yellow onions and leeks have similar flavor, so this ingredient change won’t affect the recipe.

    Vegetables- To make it heartier, add a chopped green, yellow, and red pepper. This also adds great color for a beautiful presentation.

    Claim Juice- If you don’t have clam juice available or would like to use something else instead, use a good chicken stock or seafood stock. You can find both in the broth/soup sections of your grocery store.

    FAQ’s

    Can you make this in an instant pot?

    Yes you can make this in an instant pot. Press the sauté button on the instant pot, add olive oil until it becomes hot. Add the vegetables and cook for 2 minutes.

    Deglaze the bottom of the pot by adding all the liquids. Then, add the creole seasoning, tomato paste and stir until combined. Place the lid on the instant pot and securely close the lid.

    Press the soup/stew button and turn on the timer to cook for 7 minutes. Once the soup cooks for seven minutes, carefully release the steam from the valve. Once the steam has released, carefully unlock the lid.

    Stir the soup, add additional creole seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. Add the shrimp and fish and cook without the lid on for five minutes or until the fish and shrimp cooks through. Turn off the instant pot and stir in the coconut milk.

    What can you serve with this?

    A crusty French bread is great for dipping when eating a bowl of this goodness! Pair it with a side salad and you’ve got yourself a complete meal. For an even more hearty complete meal, you can even serve this over a bed of rice.

    How long can you keep it in the refrigerator?

    You can store the cooked leftovers in the refrigerator in an air tight food storage container for up to three days.

    Can you freeze it?

    I would not recommending freezing this soup because the coconut milk can become more gritty and separate when you reheat it.

    Seafood soup in two white bowls with spoons and drink on gray table with parsley garnish

    Here’s more delicious warm and comforting soups to try!

    • Chicken in silver pan with gray napkin on white tabletop.
      Berbere Chicken
    • Cooked corn pieces topped with cilantro on white marble tabletop.
      Mexican Corn Recipe (Elotes)
    • Wings topped with parsley garnish on white parchment paper and wire rack with spoon.
      Honey Chipotle Wings
    • Wings on white plate with parsley garnish with bowl on spices.
      Jerk Wings

    Inspired Taste has a great creamy seafood stew recipe, too.

    Made this recipe? 

    ♥♥♥ Did you make this recipe? If so, please rate this recipe and leave a comment below to let me know if you enjoyed it. And follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more delicious inspiration! ♥♥♥

    Seafood soup in two white bowls with spoons and drink on gray table with parsley garnish

    Creamy Seafood Stew

    Creamy Seafood Stew has a creamy texture, full of seafood, and has delicious flavor from the blackening seasoning and coconut milk we added to this dish.
    5 from 7 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 430kcal
    Author: Sharee

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
    • 2 celery stalks chopped
    • 6 garlic cloves finely chopped
    • 1 leek the white portion sliced or chopped
    • 1 red pepper chopped
    • 3 teaspoons blackening or creole seasoning additional creole seasoning to taste
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 13.5 ounces full fat coconut milk
    • 1/4 cup dry white wine
    • 1/2 cup clam juice
    • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
    • 12 ounces Red Snapper or Cod Fillets chopped into large chunks
    • 12 ounces Jumbo Shrimp (21/25 count) peeled, clean, dried
    • salt and pepper to taste
    • cilantro optional for garnish

    Instructions

    • Heat large sauce pan using medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the olive oil. Then add the leeks, garlic, red peppers and celery to the pan.
    • Let the vegetables cook for about four to five minutes until soft. Make sure to stir the vegetables while they cook.
    •  Next, add your blackening or creole seasoning, tomato paste and bay leaves to the pot and stir well until combined.
    • Add the wine and clam juice to the pot and stir until combined. Cook the soup mixture for about two minutes using medium heat.
    • Now add the fish and shrimp to the soup mixture and gently stir until well combined making sure not to break up the fish pieces. Using medium heat, cook the soup for five minutes or until the fish and shrimp have cooked through.
    • Turn the heat off and add the coconut milk. Stir until combined.
    • Add additional creole or blackening seasoning to taste. Salt and pepper the soup mixture to taste. Remove bay leaves and garnish with optional cilantro. Serve immediately.

    Notes

    Easier Meal Prep – You can make prep for this meal easier if you purchased shrimp that have already been shelled and cleaned.
    Don’t over salt – If you use store bought blackening or creole seasoning, please take caution in reference to the salt content in your selected seasoning.  There are some low sodium store bought seasonings available. 
    Coconut flavor tips – If you decide to add more blackening seasoning, it may take away from the coconut flavor. 
    How to prevent the coconut milk from breaking down and curdling – Make sure to stir the coconut milk until it is well combined before adding it to the pot. Also, add the coconut milk in last after everything has cooked. Before adding the coconut milk into the pot, turn off the heat. Bringing the coconut milk to a boil will cause the coconut milk to breakdown with a gritty consistency, and the soup won’t be as creamy.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 430kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 246mg | Sodium: 1251mg | Potassium: 852mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1364IU | Vitamin C: 49mg | Calcium: 192mg | Iron: 6mg

    Please note that I am not a nutritionist, and the nutritional information is an estimate only. It varies based on the products and brands used.

    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Follow @savoryspicerack and tag #savoryspicerack!

    BHM Virtual Potluck

    I was invited again to the BHM virtual potluck! Here are the other participant’s delicious recipes from the BHM virtual potluck. And there are so many great contributors bringing a covered dish to this thing too! 

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    • D.M.R. Fine Foods ~ Cinnamon Raisin Bread Pudding
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    • Domestic Dee ~ Fried Peach Hand Pies
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    « Easy Slow Cooker Chili (With Sausage)
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Amy Melvin

      February 20, 2024 at 3:03 pm

      5 stars
      This is our new go to quick and easy yummy meal! I add a little water or chicken broth to stretch it out a little. I’ve done it with scallops too.

      Reply
    2. Mimi

      March 27, 2022 at 3:55 pm

      5 stars
      I just passed out, this looks great. Must try!

      Reply
    3. myrna frank

      January 13, 2022 at 9:00 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious!!!! and our guests raved.
      My adaptations based on what I had on hand: tons of grated ginger instead of creole seasoning, haddock instead of snapper (I’m sure that snapper is better).
      and I first sauteed the shrimp which I had dipped in some almond flour before adding to the stew.

      Reply
      • Sharee

        January 15, 2022 at 11:33 am

        Yay! Thanks for sharing! Happy you enjoyed!

        Reply
    4. Helena

      July 18, 2021 at 7:15 am

      5 stars
      I literally felt my mouth watering reading through the post. Such an amazing stew!

      Reply
    5. Jen Sim

      January 30, 2021 at 9:58 am

      5 stars
      Yum! This creamy seafood stew is right up my street. I’m definitely pinning this for later and will probably serve it with rice. Any idea where I can get good creole seasoning from in the UK?

      Reply
      • Savory Spicerack

        February 06, 2021 at 9:55 am

        Hello! I am not sure where to purchase creole seasoning from in the UK. Maybe try some homemade creole seasonings from online if you cannot find some creole seasonings online to order. Happy cooking!

        Reply
    6. SIAMIYAH WATTS

      March 06, 2020 at 7:49 am

      5 stars
      So love this recipe!

      Reply
    7. Little Cooking Tips

      April 03, 2018 at 3:47 am

      So great that you guys got to visit the Old World:)
      This recipe is truly a gourmet dish dear Sharee! Plus it’s so versatile! We are pinning this, in order to try it out soon:)
      Sending you our love,
      Mirella and Panos

      Reply
      • Savory Spicerack

        April 03, 2018 at 7:46 pm

        It was so much fun! Thanks!

        Reply
    8. D Durand Worthey

      February 20, 2018 at 7:50 pm

      Meiko! You are killin’ me! This looks SO freaking delicious! I have never had Creamy Seafood Stew but that’s about to change! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Savory Spicerack

        February 25, 2018 at 4:32 pm

        Yay!! Hope you enjoy!

        Reply
      • Savory Spicerack

        April 03, 2018 at 7:47 pm

        Happy you liked it!!

        Reply
    5 from 7 votes (1 rating without comment)

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