Provence-Style Bouillabaisse with Saffron-Infused Bread

By AislePrompt Test Kitchen · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-04-05 · Updated 2026-04-05

A genuine Provençal seafood stew where saffron and sautéed vegetables create an authentic flavor profile, served with crusty bread infused with the broth's essence. This french-inspired seafood ready in about 52 minutes pairs saffron threads, medium fennel, tomatoes for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 380 calories and feeds 2, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 1/4 tsp saffron threads
• 1 medium fennel
• 300g tomatoes
• 300g white fish fillets
• 150g shellfish
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 120ml dry white wine
• 2 tbsp fennel fronds
• 1 slice baguette

Instructions

1. Step 1: Finely chop fennel (1/4-inch dice) and tomatoes (1/2-inch dice); mince 3 garlic cloves. Heat olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat, add fennel, tomatoes, and fennel seeds, and cook for 8 minutes until tomatoes break down and fennel softens.
2. Step 2: Stir in 1/4 tsp saffron threads and 120ml dry white wine; simmer for 5 minutes until wine reduces by half and aroma becomes fragrant.
3. Step 3: Add white fish fillets (cut into 2-inch pieces) and shellfish; cover and simmer for 7 minutes until fish is opaque and shellfish opens. Discard any unopened shellfish.
4. Step 4: Toast baguette slice in a skillet until golden, then drizzle with 2 tbsp reserved broth and 1 tbsp fennel fronds. Serve stew over toasted bread with extra broth for dipping.