Authentic French Bouillabaisse is easy to make at home! Made with fennel, saffron, white wine, garlic, and plenty of seafood, this fragrant fish stew is a tried-and-true classic.

French Seafood Stew

Nothing is more satisfying than a bold, hearty, yet delicate dish of bouillabaisse served with crusty bread. This timeless Provençal fish soup, part of rustic French cuisine and popularized by the legendary Julia Child, showcases the freshest seafood. Traditionally, French cooks made this with various fish that were available at the time of cooking, along with a few shellfish. The irresistible broth gets its unique flavor from anise-flavored fennel, golden threads of saffron, and a splash of wine.

Making bouillabaisse might sound intimidating since it’s such a famous recipe and because we are cooking with saffron, but like many old recipes, it’s actually very simple. This authentic recipe will teach you how to make it yourself, and believe me, once you try it, there’s no going back!

Overhead shot of seafood stew in a pot, next to a cutting board of toasted baguette slices. Various other ingredients are arranged on the work surface.

What Is Bouillabaisse?

Bouillabaisse is a traditional Provençal fish stew originating from the port city of Marseille, France. It’s a rich and flavorful dish made by boiling various types of fish, shellfish, and other seafood with herbs and spices in a broth made with tomatoes, onions, and leeks. This Mediterranean seafood dish is similar to another popular fish soup, cioppino – associated with Italian immigrant fishermen in San Francisco during the 1800s. Both use a variety of fresh seafood options, but cioppino tends to lean more heavily on shellfish, while bouillabaisse is more about the fish.

From top left: Butter, olive oil, parsley, clam juice, mussels, fish fillets, shrimp, a fennel bulb, tomatoes, onion, garlic, white wine, seasonings.

Bouillabaisse Ingredients

Olive Oil and Butter: Using both adds a rich flavor.
Fennel: Finely chop the fennel bulb. You can discard the stems or save them to make homemade broth.
Onion: Dice up one yellow onion.
Garlic: You’ll want a lot of garlic here, finely minced or pressed in a garlic press.
Spices and Herbs: Dried thyme, paprika, saffron, bay leaves, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
White Wine: Aim for a dry wine here, like a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.
Clam Juice: Clam juice is easy to find in most grocery stores, next to canned tuna and other similar ingredients. However, if you have access to real fish stock, that’s fine to use as well.
Diced Tomatoes: Fresh tomatoes are fine, but I usually use a can of diced, undrained tomatoes.
Seafood: I typically use halibut fillets, scallops, shrimp, and mussels. Make sure that the fish is cut into chunks, the scallops have their tendons removed, the shrimp are peeled and deveined, and the mussels have been scrubbed and debearded. Often, your fishmonger can take care of these tasks for you.
Garnishes: Finely chopped fresh basil, parsley, and some red pepper flakes make flavorful garnishes.

How To Make Bouillabaisse

Okay, let’s get into the method for making this mouthwatering soup. We will cook up the aromatic ingredients, create the broth, and then add the more delicate ingredients last so they don’t overcook.

White wine being poured into a Dutch oven of sauteing veggies.

Fish pieces added to a pot of tomato-based soup.

Fish and mussels arranged in a Dutch oven full of cooking soup.

Cook the Aromatics. Set a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Warm the olive oil and stir in the chopped fennel and onion. Cook them until they are softened. Stir in the garlic, thyme, paprika, saffron, and cayenne pepper, and let those cook for 20 seconds.
Add the Liquids. Stir the white wine into the hot ingredients – it will bubble and steam. Let this cook down for a minute or so, stirring to scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Add in clam juice, undrained tomatoes, and bay leaves. Bring the soup to a boil before reducing the heat and letting it simmer for 10 minutes.
Fish. Add your halibut pieces to the broth, cover, and cook over medium-low heat for two minutes.
Add the Mussels and Scallops. Mussels and scallops are next – they need to be arranged in the simmering soup, cooked for three minutes, and covered.
Add the Shrimp. Shrimp cook the quickest, so they go in last. Add the shrimp, cover the pot, and cook them for 2-3 minutes or until they are opaque and pink.
Finish the Dish. Once the seafood is cooked, take the stew off the heat and discard the bay leaves and any unopened mussels. (Unopened mussels are considered unsafe to eat and should not be served.) Stir in the fresh basil and parsley, give the soup a taste, and add more salt and pepper as needed.
Serve. Ladle your soup into bowls, and serve it with freshly toasted baguette slices.

A ladle dipping up a portion of bouillabaisse from a pot.

Tips and Tricks

Wine-Free: Some cooks don’t want to add wine to their dishes, but don’t let that stop you from making an awesome bouillabaisse! Some great substitutes include chicken broth with a tiny bit of dijon mustard whisked in (dijon mustard has a distinctly wine-like taste) or water mixed with a bit of vinegar.
Optional Flavor Boosts: You can stir a little tomato paste into the sauteing veggies for more depth of flavor – this is especially helpful if you’re not using wine in the dish. A little orange or lemon zest is also fabulous for giving bouillabaisse a nice lift.
Fish Options: As you can see, I used a combination of firm, meaty fish, tender shrimp, sweet scallops, and mussels to get some variety in my bouillabaisse. However, you can make all kinds of substitutes here – remember, bouillabaisse was traditionally based on the day’s catch. You can use a combination of meaty, flaky, fatty, and lean fish, plus whatever shellfish you have (or no shellfish at all). If some of the fish “dissolves” while cooking, that’s okay! It will enrich the soup broth and taste delicious either way.

Which Is Better, Fresh or Frozen Fish?

You might think that the best fish comes from the fresh fish case at your grocery store, but that’s not necessarily true – sometimes, the highest quality is right there in the frozen section, just needing to be thawed out before use. Frozen fish is often frozen right at the peak of quality and then defrosted just before you’re ready to cook. The “fresh” fish behind the counter might be more convenient, but it has usually been frozen for transportation and then thawed at the store to sell. That fresh fish fillet you pick up may have been sitting around on ice for hours before you buy it, making it less “fresh” than seafood you thaw out in your own fridge.

Bouillabaisse in a soup bowl, with a spoon and slice of toasted baguette.

Serving Suggestions

For me, this meal needs some crusty baguette slices and nothing else! However, if you’d like to round out the menu with a side dish or two, serve it with this Spinach Blackberry Salad for a summery, sweet side dish or this Broccoli Cauliflower Salad. Skip the baguette slices and make these Biscuits, or create a homemade artisan loaf in your slow cooker with this Slow Cooker Basil Pesto Bread. Stir Fry Zucchini Noodles or these Creamy Ricotta Zucchini Noodles work beautifully next to the rich broth in this soup. Bon appetit!

Storing and Reheating

Store leftover bouillabaisse in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days.
To reheat, pour it into a saucepan set over medium heat and let it cook until the soup starts to simmer. Don’t overcook it; the fish and seafood will be dry and rubbery.
To Freeze: Bouillabaisse can be frozen for up to three months. Cool the soup, remove mussels from their shells (discard the shells), and pour the soup into a freezer container, covering all the seafood with broth. Label with the date and freeze. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.

Bouillabaisse Recipe