Baked White Fish and Vegetables

The juiciest, most tender baked white fish with vegetables, using just about any firm white fish that you'd like - cod, tilapia, haddock, bass, catfish, grouper, etc. The fish is baked in between layers of onion, carrots, celery, peppers, tomatoes and fresh herbs. 

The succulent and tender white fish is baked together with a great abundance of vegetables - onions, carrots, celery, bell pepper, tomatoes, garlic and fresh herbs. All the flavors meld together in one delicious dish. This will satisfy your cravings for something hearty, but still leave you feeling light and healthy.

This is another dish from my childhood. My Mom used to make it all the time and I still love it so much and make it quite often. I love how juicy the fish is in this recipe and it's also great that you can use so many different varieties of fish and they all work so well.

You can do all the prep work ahead of time and you will only have to bake it. This is a perfect option for a make ahead meal for a busy day. Isn't that a fantastic option? This also why it's an excellent choice for a stunning company dinner.

What Kind of Fish Should You Use?

White Fish is not a type of fish, here I am referring to a mild, firm white fish. There are so many different varieties available and most of them work great in this recipe.

One of my favorites is cod, but I've used many different types of white fish over the years. Other white fish options: haddock, tilapia, swai, bass, grouper, catfish, snapper, whiting, etc. You can use fresh or frozen fish, just thaw it completely before using.

What Vegetables Are Best To Bake With the Fish?

Oh, just look at all those colorful vegetables! I really love having an abundance of vegetables in this recipe, but if you prefer, you can add less vegetables.

I am using onion, celery, carrots, bell pepper, tomatoes, garlic and herbs.

Preparing the Vegetables

• Peel and halve the onions, and then thinly slice them. Peel the garlic and then mince them or use a garlic press.
• Peel and grate the carrots, thinly slice the celery and julienne the bell pepper.
• Remove the seeds from the tomatoes and grate the tomatoes on a box grater. This is a really neat trick to quickly "puree" the tomatoes and remove the skin at the same time. Instead of grating the tomatoes, you can put them through the food processor or blender, or even chop the tomatoes.
• If you don't have fresh tomatoes, you can use canned diced tomatoes, tomato puree, or tomato sauce. I think the grated fresh tomatoes has the best flavor and texture. Not only are the fresh tomatoes less acidic and have a sweeter flavor, but they create a really delicious "sauce" for the vegetables.

Preparing the Baked White Fish With Vegetables:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Cut the fish into smaller pieces and blot it dry with a paper towel to get rid of excess moisture. Season with salt, ground black pepper and any of your favorite spices and herbs to flavor the fish.
3. Heat oil in a skillet and cook the fish for about 2-3 minutes per side. It should still be partly raw in the center. Cook the fish in batches until it's all partly cooked. Transfer the fish to a plate while you prepare the vegetables.
4. In a large skillet, cook the onions, carrots, and celery, seasoning with salt and ground black pepper to taste, for 5-7 minutes, until the vegetables soften.
5. Add the bell pepper, tomatoes and garlic. Season with salt and pepper as well and more dry herbs and seasoning that you like. Cook for another 8-10 minutes. 
6. Add the fresh herbs once the vegetables are off the stove.

Why the Extra Step of Precooking the Fish and Vegetables Before Baking?

I know it may seem like a complete waste of time, but believe me, this is actually a really important step. First of all, sautéing the fish and the vegetables will add extra flavor to the overall dish and it will have a much better taste. Second, the vegetables and the fish cook at different rates and the fish would be completely overcooked LONG before the vegetables would become tender.

I sear the fish very quickly on both sides. The fish is still raw in the center when you put it in the oven. Also, if you would put the fish in the oven raw, it will exude a lot of excess liquid, which it doesn't when you sear it on higher heat in a skillet. Otherwise, the dish would be quite watery. Sautéing the vegetables in a skillet first creates caramelization, brings out the natural sweetness of the vegetables and significantly cuts down on the cooking process.

Baking the Fish and Vegetables

1. Spread half of the vegetables on the bottom of the baking dish that you will be using. It really doesn't matter what kind of baking dish you use as long as it's rimmed, deep and can be covered. You can use aluminum foil to cover it.
2. Place a layer of fish over the vegetables.
3. Spread the remaining vegetables over the fish.
4. Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise, sour cream or yogurt over the vegetables. This step is completely optional, but I think it adds a nice creaminess on top of the fish and vegetables, but you can completely omit it, if you prefer.
5. Cover the baking dish with a lid or aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for about 30-40 minutes.

We are basically heating it all up evenly all the way through to the center, and then only waiting for the fish to cook through, which doesn't take long at all. The vegetables are already cooked.

Making the Fish and Vegetables in Advance

You can also do all the prep work ahead of time, assemble the fish and vegetables in the baking dish and store in the refrigerator until you're ready to bake it. In that case, you will need to bake this dish longer, 40-50 minutes.

Print

What To Serve With the Fish

My favorite side dishes with this fish dinner:Long Grain Rice

Long Grain White Rice

Couscous

Mashed Potatoes

This is an updated version of the Baked White Fish and Vegetables recipe that was published originally on January 13, 2014. The recipe is the same with updated pictures.