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Rustic Tilapia Stew

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  • Prep 20 min
  • Total 45 min
  • Ingredients 16
  • Servings 6
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This rustic stew made with tilapia is a recipe that reminds me of my mother-in-law. She usually prepared a similar dish in which she stewed onions and tomatoes before adding water, nopal cactus, cilantro and chunks of fish for a rustic, simple and delicious stew. I still prepare the dish that my mother-in-law taught me, but I’ve made a few changes over time. I think vegetables should never be missing from a stew, so I added carrots, chayote and green beans. And to give it even more flavor, I added ancho and chipotle chiles. This is one of my favorite dishes for Lent, but it can be prepared year round because it soothes your soul just as much as your stomach!
Leslie Limon
Updated Sep 9, 2015
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Ingredients

  • 3 ancho peppers, dried and with the stems removed
  • 1 chipotle pepper, dried and with the stems removed
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 10 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
  • 1/2 medium onion, chopped
  • 4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 2 chayote squash, peeled and chopped
  • 1/2 cup fresh green beans, chopped
  • 2 zucchini, chopped
  • 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
  • 1 sprig cilantro
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
  • 6 tilapia fillets, cut into large pieces

Directions

  •  
    1
    Boil the ancho and chipotle chiles in 2 cups of water until the peppers have softened entirely.
  •  
    2
    Remove from the heat and let cool. Blend the chiles with the water in which they cooked, along with the clove of garlic.
  •  
    3
    Strain the mixture into a medium bowl to remove the seeds and set aside.
  •  
    4
    Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
  •  
    5
    Add the tomatoes and onions and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  •  
    6
    Add the rest of the vegetables (carrots, chayotes, green beans and zucchini), the 8 remaining cups of water, the tomato sauce and cilantro sprig.
  •  
    7
    Season with salt and pepper to taste, and add the ground cumin and oregano.
  •  
    8
    Cover and cook over medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and cook for another 10 minutes.
  •  
    9
    Add the fish fillets and cook for 10 more minutes.
  •  
    10
    Remove from the heat and serve with toast or saltines. Enjoy!

Expert Tips

  • tip 1
    You can use any fish or seafood you like.

Nutrition Information

No nutrition information available for this recipe

More About This Recipe

  • This rustic stew made with tilapia is a recipe that reminds me of my mother-in-law. She usually prepared a similar dish in which she stewed onions and tomatoes before adding water, nopal cactus, cilantro and chunks of fish for a rustic, simple and delicious stew. I still prepare the dish that my mother-in-law taught me, but I’ve made a few changes over time. I think vegetables should never be missing from a stew, so I added carrots, chayote and green beans. And to give it even more flavor, I added ancho and chipotle chiles. This is one of my favorite dishes for Lent, but it can be prepared year round because it soothes your soul just as much as your stomach!
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