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:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- Place a layer of fish over the vegetables.
- Spread the remaining vegetables over the fish.
- 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.
- 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.
PrintBaked 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.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 70 minutes
- Total Time: 100 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Main Course
Ingredients
- 2 ½ lbs of firm white fish (tilapia, swai, cod, etc)
- 2 - 3 Tablespoons oil (grape seed (avocado, olive, sunflower, etor butter)
- 2 large onions (sliced)
- 3-4 carrots (grated)
- 2-3 celery stalks (sliced)
- 4 to matoes (seeded and grated or chopped)
- 1 large bell pepper (julienned)
- 3-5 garlic cloves (minced)
- salt (ground black pepper)
- 1-2 Tablespoon mayonnaise (sour cream or yogurt, optional)
- ½ - 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley (dill, basil, minced)
Instructions
- Cut the fish into smaller pieces and blot it dry with a paper towel to get rid of excess moisture.
- Heat about ½ - 1 Tablespoon of oil in a nonstick skillet over high heat, season the fish on both sides with salt, ground black pepper and any combination of your favorite seasonings.
- 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.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Prep all the veggies. 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. 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.
- Heat another Tablespoon of butter or oil on medium high heat and add the onions, carrots and celery to the skillet. Season with salt and ground black pepper. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until the vegetables soften.
- 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. Add the fresh herbs once the vegetables are off the stove.
- Spread half of the vegetables on the bottom of the baking dish that you will be using. Place a layer of fish over the vegetables. Spread the remaining vegetables over the fish.
- Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise, sour cream or yogurt over the vegetables. This step is completely optional.
- 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.
Notes
You can 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.
What To Serve With the Fish
My favorite side dishes with this fish dinner:Long Grain Rice
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.
i made this fish dish this sunday with hake loins fish and it was really good! 🙂
everyone liked it a lot! 🙂
thank you so much! 🙂
I'm so glad to heat that, Mia:).
The minute I saw you posted this recipe, I knew I had to try it. Not sure why it took me so long but I finally gave it a shot today and . . . WOW!!! This is, no doubt, my favorite way to eat fish now. I love all the vegetables used here and how they go so well together. I cooked the veggies for much longer on the stove to soften them even more & the flavors were out of the world. Thank you for providing amazing and reliable recipes!
You're welcome, Yana! I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed this fish. I love including LOTS of veggies in dishes that I cook; I'm glad to hear that you are a fellow vegetable appreciator as well:).
served over rice..yum!!!
Rice is perfect with this dish, Julia.
I am not a fish eater; the only fish I can tolerate is fresh lake perch sauteed in butter. But I have to tell you, I made this recipe with cod, and Olga, you have converted me. If this is fish, then fish is for me. Thank you for sharing your recipes. I enjoy your blog, and I look forward to your posts on facebook. You are remarkable!
Wow, that's quite the compliment, Georgene! It means a lot to me, so thank you so much for letting me know.
I made this delicious recipe, in addition to several others from your blog, for a Sochi Olympic Watching Party. This recipe was by far the favorite of all our guests. I not only had a great recipe for our Russian-themed night, but now I have a new recipe to add to my monthly rotation of meals. I'm looking forward to spending time on your delightful blog and discovering more treasures!
Thanks so much for visiting my blog and using my recipes, Teresa. I am so honored!
Hi, I was wondering if it would be alright if I prepare everything and leave it in the refrigerator for the night and then bake it the next day? Or would it be better to cook the vegetables and fish leave it in the refrigerator for the night and then assemble and bake it the next day?
Yes, Lana, prep the dish in advance and bake it the next day.
Delicious!!! My husband and I both loved it. Served with some rice!!! Yum! Will be making again!
That's great, Alla! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Fish with rice is always a great combination.
I made this dish yesterday...both me and my husband liked it..and my husband is picky eater.. i served it over jasmine rice but next time i would leave the celery out.And mayo didnt spread so well so i had to mix it in.
That's great, Masha. I'm happy that you guys liked it.
I have lots of family members who don't like celery, so I can relate:).
Hi Olga,
I made this dish and it was absolutely delicious. I love fish and it's just beyond words how good this dish is. Mine just didn't look as attractive mayo on top looked cottage maybe I put more mayo or maybe cause it was covered with aluminum foil. But it was still delicious . Thank you for your recipes.
Yay! So glad you liked it, Svetlana.
can't wait to make this it looks BOMB!
Hi Olga! I found your website last week when I was looking for a recipe for kasha. That was yummy and this baked fish was delicious too. I'm always looking for new ways to cook fish. And I'm excited to try more Russian recipes; I grew up near Pittsburgh and became really fond of Eastern European cuisine, but didn't grow up cooking it in my family, so I'm never sure where to turn for a good recipe. Anyway, I've enjoyed reading through your recipes and posts this past week or so and am looking forward to cooking up more good food. Thanks!
Hi Laura!
Thanks for stopping by! I'm glad you enjoyed this recipe.
I hope you can find other recipes to enjoy.
I made this yesterday and I have to say, this was so delicious. I couldn't stop eating it. When I told my husband that I am making cod, he said "oh, that fish doesn't really taste good" but once I finished and had him try it, he couldn't stop eating it. So, this is definitely a winner. Thanks for sharing since are trying to incorporate more fish into our diet.
Ha ha! That's awesome! I hear that a lot from people, about cod. I always think that's interesting, since I LOVE cod.
Hi Olga
My Mum is Russian, born in St Petersburg in 1916, and one of my middle names is Olga! I love your website and have copied several of your recipes onto my laptop; they remind me of the food my Mum used to cook for us.
I've just copied this one and notice another typo, in No.11 in the instructions. You have 'spread a think layer....' Should that be thick or thin? I hope it's thick, that's what I've put in my copy.
Hi Lorna! I'm so glad that this food brings good memories to you. Food is like that isn't it?
It's actually "thin", but you can certainly make it thick:).
I made this last night and it was delishes! I substituted with mushrooms, carrots, cheese, diced tomatoes and some tomato juice. I also made some pasta and placed it on the bottom, and topped it with fish and the sauce. It was soooo good! My husband even asked if there are left overs left for next day =)
Awesome, Lidiya! Great thinking. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Where did you buy the dish for this recipe?
Veronica, I bought it at Home Goods a few months ago. I don't know if they still have it.
I've seen similar dishes at World Market and Pier1 (if these stores are in your area).
is that porcelain?