Nutrition: 478 Calories | 13.8g Net Carbs | 37.3g Protein | 15.1g Total Fat
An easy homemade Homemade Mexican Fish and Shrimp Soup (Caldo de Pescado) recipe filled with fish, shrimp, chorizo and vegetables makes a comforting and fiery meal everyone will enjoy.
Our family has been very busy lately because we’re preparing for another move with the navy. Which means, I’m in empty-out-the-freezer mode. So, I’m getting creative with the food I have and only buying fresh food. This summer we went on a deep sea fishing trip and brought home 40 pounds of fish. I still have tons in my freezer, and so I came up with this recipe. My husband and I love it so much, I’ve made it a couple times now. This Mexican fish and shrimp soup (Caldo de Pescado) is inspired by our favorite dish from a local Mexican restaurant, molcajetes. It’s a delicious spicy stew with a tomato and chorizo base and served sizzling hot in a lava rock bowl, called a molcajete. We usually order ours with chicken, asada, and shrimp. Instead, I made this recipe with fish and shrimp.
Cut Up the Vegetables
Start this Mexican stew with a traditional vegetable base. Dice up carrots, onion and celery. In a large pot or Dutch Oven, heat up olive oil over medium heat. Add in the diced vegetables and sauté them. Also add in some finely diced jalapeños. I left the seeds out so the stew wouldn’t be too spicy for the kids. You can leave them in if you want a spicier stew.
Add in Spices and Chorizo
Once the vegetables have started to soften, season them with some classic Mexican flavors. Stir in ground cumin, ground coriander and chili powder, and let the vegetables continue to cook. Next, add Mexican chorizo to the pot. Slice two links of chorizo lengthwise and remove the casing. Put the ground meat in the pot and break it up with a spoon. Brown all the ground meat and continue to break it up as it cooks.
Add Tomatoes and Liquids
After all the chorizo is cooked, it’s time to start building the tomato base of the stew. Add 6 ounces of tomato paste to the pot. Stir it around and mix it in with the vegetables and chorizo. Let that cook about a minute, then add in a can of diced tomatoes and diced green chilis. Scrape the bottom of the pan to release all the tasty bits on the bottom. Finally, add 4 cups of chicken stock and fresh chopped cilantro. Mix everything together. Bring the stew to a boil over high heat. Then, reduce the heat to medium-low and let the stew simmer uncovered for at least 15-20 minutes. You can let it go longer too, if you want the flavors to develop even more.
Add the Fish and Shrimp at the End
While the stew is simmering, cut up your fish into bite sized pieces. I used rock fish and ling cod but you can use any mild white fish you like. Tilapia would make a great choice too. Once you’re done prepping the fish, then clean the shrimp too. Remove any shells and the tails. You can use either raw or pre-cooked shrimp. I had pre-cooked shrimp in my freezer, so I used it up.
About five minutes before you’re ready to serve your stew, add the fish and uncooked shrimp to the pot. Stir in the seafood and let it cook for five minutes. If you have pre-cooked shrimp, add it to the pot for 1-2 minutes, just to warm it up. After, the fish has cooked for five minutes, remove the pot from the heat. You don’t want the seafood to over-cook and become chewy.
Serve your Mexican fish and shrimp soup with shredded cheese, fresh cilantro, avocado, sour cream and lime wedges as you like. Everybody has fun finishing the soup just they way they like it. Even the kids. Leave the cheese and sour cream out if you want to keep the meal dairy free.
Looking for other recipe ideas? Check these out: Avocado Shrimp Ceviche Salad, Easy Grilled Rock Fish, Tilapia Fish Tacos, and Grilled Mahi Fish Tacos.
Homemade Mexican Fish Stew Recipe with Shrimp and Chorizo
An easy homemade Mexican fish stew recipe filled with fish, shrimp, chorizo and vegetables makes a comforting and fiery meal everyone will enjoy.
Total Time: 55 min
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 45 min
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs Sea Bass or Other White Fish
- 7 oz Large Shrimp, Peeled and Deveined
- 2 Links of Chorizo (About 8 oz)
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Cup Carrots, Diced
- 3 Celery Stalks
- 1 Cup Fresh Cilantro, Plus More for Serving
- 1 Medium Onion
- 2 Jalapeños
- 1 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1 tsp Ground Coriander
- 1.5 tsp Chili Powder
- 4 oz Can Diced Green Chilis
- 14.5 oz Can Diced Tomatoes
- 6 oz Tomato Paste
- 4 Cups Chicken Stock
- Optional Toppings:
- Lime Wedges
- Sour Cream
- Shredded Cheese
- Diced Avocado
- Minced Cilantro
Directions
- Dice the carrots, celery, onion and jalapeños and mince the fresh cilantro.
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion and jalapeños. Sauté the vegetables about 5 minutes until they soften. Stir in the ground cumin, ground coriander, and the chili powder.
- Slice the links of chorizo lengthwise. Remove and discard the casing, and add the ground chorizo to the pot. Break up the meat and brown it, about 10 minutes.
- Once the chorizo is fully cooked, add the tomato paste to the pot and stir it in. Then, add the canned tomatoes and green chilis. Stir everything together and scrape the bottom of the pan. Finally, add the chicken stock and minced cilantro. Bring everything to a boil over high heat. Then, reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- While the stew is simmering, cut the fish into bite sized pieces and remove the tails from the shrimp if necessary.
- Add the fish to the stew and simmer for 5 minutes. If you have raw shrimp, add it at the same time as the fish. If you have pre-cooked shrimp, add it in the last 1-2 minutes, just to warm them up.
- Remove the pot from the heat so the seafood doesn’t overcook. Ladle the fish stew into bowls and serve with lime wedges, shredded cheese, sour cream, cilantro and avocado as desired. Enjoy.
Nutrition:
Yield: 6 servings, Serving Size: about 1.5 cups
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 478, Total Fat: 15.1g, Saturated Fat: 3.6g, Cholesterol: 61.4mg, Sodium: 1254.2mg, Carbohydrates: 17.6g, Fiber 3.8g, Sugars: 7.3g, Protein 37.3g
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