Poached Halibut With Tomato Coconut Curry
This easy poached halibut recipe is made with a creamy tomato coconut curry and served over rice. It’s bursting with flavour, but so simple to make – perfect for a healthy and comforting dinner idea! Recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, and sustainable.
This post is sponsored by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). As always, all words, thoughts, and opinions are my own. Thank you for continuing to support the brands who help make Walder Wellness possible.
When I first tested this halibut curry recipe, I let out the loudest “YUM” when I took that first bite. It’s seriously SO flavourful, comforting, and easy to make – I can’t wait to share it with you!
If you’ve ever felt intimidated to cook halibut (I was too), please know that it’s actually incredibly simple. In this recipe, the halibut is poached in the tomato coconut curry sauce for 10 minutes and it comes out so buttery-soft and tender.
I’m also excited to share that this recipe was made in partnership with my friends at the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), a global science-based nonprofit dedicated to ending overfishing worldwide.
If you’re like me and you’re curious to find out what you can do to make more sustainable choices for the planet and future generations, it’s so great to know that there is a global community of people working to end overfishing and trying to make our ocean healthier.
In addition to the recipe, below I’ll share some tips on how to choose sustainable seafood in general, as well as some nutrition facts on sustainably-caught halibut in particular. As a dietitian, these are both super important factors to me!
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How To Choose Sustainable Seafood
Through my work with the MSC, I’ve shockingly learned that 1/3 of our planet’s waters are overfished.
In order to still enjoy the nutritious seafood I love to cook with, it’s great to know that the small act of switching to certified sustainable seafood can help protect our oceans for the future.
Luckily, the MSC makes it so easy to identify which seafood products are sustainably-caught – simply look for their blue fish label on the package or in the fresh seafood aisle.
TIP: The blue fish label looks just like the one included in the first picture of this post!
Whenever you choose wild-caught seafood that has the MSC blue fish label, you’ll know that your purchase is supporting fisheries, retailers, and brands committed to making sustainable fishing the standard in the commercial fishing industry.
If you’re passionate about learning more, check out their all-new “Where to buy MSC-certified seafood” page to make the switch!
Halibut Nutrition Benefits
MSC-certified wild-caught halibut is a good source of various vitamins and minerals, including:
- selenium
- niacin
- phosphorus
- magnesium
- potassium
- vitamin B12
- vitamin B6
In addition to micronutrients, halibut is an excellent source of complete protein and a source of omega-3 fatty acids.
Ingredients Needed
This poached halibut recipe is only 12 simple ingredients:
- MSC-certified sustainable halibut
- coconut oil
- shallot
- garlic
- curry powder
- cumin
- ground ginger
- canned coconut milk
- canned tomatoes (I used diced)
- tomato paste
- brown rice
- parsley (optional garnish)
Full ingredient measurements + instructions are located in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Recipe Modifications & Variations
- Instead of brown rice, you can serve this halibut curry over another grain of your choice. White rice, quinoa, millet, farro, barley…it would all taste great!
- Parsley is an optional garnish, but it pairs beautifully with the ingredients in this dish! In place of parsley, you could try fresh basil, cilantro, chives, or green onions.
- I used canned diced tomatoes (including their liquids) in this recipe, but you could use any canned tomatoes (just try to have them minimally flavoured).
- If you’d like to stir in some extra greens, you could easily add in a handful or two of a leafy green like spinach to the curry. Just be sure to wilt it down prior to adding the halibut.
- You can use olive oil or avocado oil in place of coconut oil if desired.
More Easy, Healthy Seafood Recipes
- Baked Harissa Salmon Over Lemon Quinoa
- Creamy Coconut Shrimp With Chili Powder & Lime
- Crispy Turmeric Salmon With Yogurt Sauce
- Sautéed Shrimp With Tomato Sauce, Feta & Rice
- Seared Scallops With Corn, Tomatoes & Pesto
Did you give this Poached Halibut With Tomato Coconut Curry Recipe a try? Let me know by leaving a comment and recipe rating below!
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Get the Recipe: Poached Halibut With Tomato Coconut Curry
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup brown rice, dry
- 1.5 tsp coconut oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 a small shallot, thinly sliced (about 3-4 Tbsp worth)
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/2 cup canned coconut milk
- 1 can diced tomatoes, with liquids (~398 ml or 13.5 fl oz.)
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- Salt + pepper, to taste
- 2 fillets MSC-certified sustainable halibut (~4 oz. each)
- ~2 Tbsp parsley, chopped (to garnish)
Instructions
- Cook rice according to package instructions.
- Heat coconut oil in a large pan over medium. Add garlic, shallots, curry powder, ground ginger, and cumin. Sauté for about 3 minutes, until fragrant.
- Add coconut milk, canned tomatoes (with liquids), and tomato paste to the pan. Season with salt + pepper and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Gently place halibut into the coconut curry. Cover and allow to poach for 10 minutes (or slightly longer if fish is very thick). Fish should be tender and flake easily. Remove from heat.
- Serve brown rice in bowls and top with poached halibut and tomato coconut curry. Garnish with chopped parsley, fresh pepper, and enjoy hot!
Notes
- Instead of brown rice, you can serve this halibut curry over another grain of your choice. White rice, quinoa, millet, farro, barley…it would all taste great!
- Parsley is an optional garnish, but it pairs beautifully with the ingredients in this dish! In place of parsley, you could try fresh basil, cilantro, chives, or green onions.
- I used canned diced tomatoes (including their liquids) in this recipe, but you could use any canned tomatoes (just try to have them minimally flavoured).
- If you’d like to stir in some extra greens, you could easily add in a handful or two of a leafy green like spinach to the curry. Just be sure to wilt it down prior to adding the halibut.
- You can use olive oil or avocado oil in place of coconut oil if desired.
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know by leaving a recipe rating below, or by tagging @walderwellness on Instagram. I love seeing your beautiful creations!
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28 Comments on “Poached Halibut With Tomato Coconut Curry”
So so delicious & easy to make! Will definitely be putting this into our rotation.
Thank you so much for your review, Tawni! It’s so appreciated. I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this one 🙂
Do you think this would work with other fish? Don’t think halibut is accessible near me
Hi Sany! Thanks so much for your question. I haven’t personally tried it with other fish, but I think you should be able to poach another white fish (like cod or sablefish?) similarly. A thinner cut of fish would likely need less time. I would do a quick google search on how to poach the particular fish you want to use and then adjust the timing accordingly!!
Such a wonderful, delicious, and easy recipe! I can’t wait to make it again!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience, Hayley! It’s so appreciated. I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this one 🙂
So easy and delicious!!! Couldn’t recommend more!
Thank you so much or sharing your experience, Bailey!! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this one 🙂
Loved this recipe! It was so easy and healthful. I love when I can make a one pot quick and healthy meal. It was my first time cooking with Halibut and it was fabulous!
Hi Paige! Thank you so much for sharing your kind review! It’s so appreciated. I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this one and that your first time cooking halibut was successful :). It’s surprisingly so easy, right?!
This was SOOO good, and my husband agreed. He asked that this be in our weekly rotation now. It was also very easy to make with ingredients that are easy to stock up on. Will definitely be making this frequently!
Thank you SO much for the kind review, Danielle!! I’m so happy to hear that you and your husband loved this one. So honoured that it’ll be added to your weekly rotation 🙂
loved this quick easy curry recipe. couldn’t find halibut so I substituted tilapia and it took a little less time to cook fully. it was a perfect recipe for a cold night.
Hi Carole! Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe and that it worked out well with tilapia! Tilapia is quite a bit thinner than halibut, so that would make sense it would cook faster :). I hope it kept you cozy!!
Delicious and so easy to make! Adding this to the rotation! Thank you, Carrie!
Thank you so much, Karen! I’m so happy to hear you loved this one and honoured to hear it’s being added to the rotation 🙂
This was so delicious and easy to make! I subbed in onion and shrimp in place of shallot and halibut because they were what I had on hand. I just reduced the cook time for the shrimp. Will definitely make again!
Hi Diane! Thank you so much for sharing your experience!! I’m so happy to hear that this recipe worked so well with shrimp – I want to try it that way now too haha! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
This is a great recipe! Simple and quick to prepare. Made it several times, also for my friends and they loved it. Thanks for your amazing recipes.
Thank YOU so much for taking the time to leave a review, Latifa! I’m so happy to hear that you and your loved ones enjoy this one so much!! That makes my day 🙂
Such a beautiful recipe that came together so well! The flavors are perfect, and I’m so glad I made this. Preparing this meal was much easier than I thought it would be. I have never cooked halibut before, but this recipe has made me quite a bit more confident. My husband and I are definitely keeping this in our dinner rotation. Thank you again!
Hi Aimee! Thank you so much for the kind review. I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this one. This recipe was also my first time cooking with halibut, and I was so pleasantly surprised with how easy and tasty it is!! So glad you’ve found another dish to add to your rotation 🙂
Absolutely amazing!! Very quick recipe so make sure to prep everything before. Served with 1/2 of white rice and I was satisfied and full! Unfortunately, Halibut was sold out at my store so I subbed for Tilapia and it worked out just fine!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience, Triana! It’s so very appreciated. I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed this one and that it worked out with tilapia too! Love your tip for making sure everything is prepped, it’s a quick one hehe 🙂
What a yummy, healthy, and easy recipe. It was quick to make and best thing was that I had all the ingredients in my pantry except the fish!
Wonderful with a handful of spinach too. Will make again.
Thank you so much, Gretchen!! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this one and found it easy to make 🙂 So appreciate you leaving a review!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Hi, should I double everything for 4 portions or I ll have too much of the sauce ? Thanks !
Hi Odree! Yes you are welcome to double everything for 4 portions – the sauce is EXCELLENT poured over something like rice or quinoa. That said, you can probably get away with just adding 2 more fillets of halibut as well – they’ll still cook, but you won’t have as much sauce to serve each portion with!