Mediterranean Seared Fish with Smoky Butter Beans and Spinach
Seared white fish over butter beans simmered in a smoky, homemade bean-broth pan sauce with spinach and lemon. A Mediterranean, high-protein dinner for two, ready in about 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Seared Fish:
- 2 8 oz (225 gram) large white fish fillets - fresh or frozen Panga, Tilapia, Flounder, or Sea Bass or see fish substitutions section for more
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Herbes de Provence
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Juice and zest from 1 small lemon save a small bit of the zest for finishing
Beans and Sauce:
- 2 cups whole cooked dried butter beans
- 1 cup bean broth/juices if using store-bought beans, drain them and use white wine and/or chicken or veggie broth instead — fully one or a half-and-half blend both work
- 2-3 cups fresh spinach chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cube chicken bouillon or salt to taste
- 2 tbsp butter or olive oil, for dairy-free
- Small handful chopped parsley
- ½ tsp smoked paprika hot/spicy variety (or sweet smoked paprika plus a pinch of cayenne)
- ½ tsp Herbes de Provence
- Black pepper to taste
Finishing:
- Drizzle of the pan sauce over the fish, chopped parsley, and hint of lemon zest
Instructions
Seared Fish:
- If using frozen fish, thaw fully in the fridge and pat very dry — see the fish notes below for Heidi's thawing method.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Season both sides of the fish fillets with the smoked paprika, Herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper.
- Sear the fish 2-3 minutes per side (add a minute or two per side for a thicker fillet like cod or halibut), until golden and cooked through. Remove to a plate and keep warm.
Beans and Sauce:
- Add the garlic, remaining paprika, and Herbes de Provence, and cook about 30 seconds, until fragrant — don't let it brown.
- Pour in the bean broth (or wine/stock, if using store-bought beans), scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add the bouillon and the lemon juice and zest. Simmer 2-3 minutes to reduce slightly.
- Add the butter beans and simmer 2-3 minutes, until warmed through.
- Stir in the spinach, a handful at a time, until just wilted (don't let it sit too long or it turns mushy).
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the same skillet.
- Stir in the parsley. Taste the broth and adjust salt and pepper.
Finishing:
- Divide the beans, broth, and spinach between two shallow bowls. Top each with a seared fish fillet, drizzle with more of the pan sauce, and finish with a sprinkle of chopped parsley and a hint of lemon zest.
Notes
Works with fresh or frozen fish — see the fish notes section for Heidi's thawing method.
Similar cooking time to Panga: sea bass, tilapia, flounder, snapper. A couple of minutes more cooking time: hake, cod, halibut, grouper. (More detail about this in the blog post).
- Doubles cleanly for 4 servings — double the fish, beans, broth, and aromatics, and the ratios hold.
- Dairy-free swap: use olive oil in place of the butter. You'll lose a little of that silky richness butter gives the sauce, but it still works.
