Dab soup with pesto and cherry tomatoes

Dab soup with pesto and cherry tomatoes

Appetizers

Pan-fried dab fillets in a fish broth, served with cherry tomatoes and a dollop of pesto. A light, fresh, and colorful starter.

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Flaky dab fillets poached in a fragrant fish broth, served with cherry tomatoes and pesto. A light and colorful starter.

Ingredients and directions

  • Prep time15 min
  • Cook time10 min
  • Total25 min
  • DifficultyEasy
  • CostBudget
  • Cooking methodPoaching in broth
  • Estimated cost$9.53 $2.38 / serving Estimated price; varies by store. Converted from euros at the ECB rate of October 15, 2026.

Ingredients

4 people
  • $2.22
  • $5.97
  • $0.11
  • $0.41
  • $0.22
  • $0.60

Prices from US supermarkets for 2 of 6 ingredients; Belgian prices for the rest.

Directions

  1. Bring the fish broth to a boil in a large saucepan. While that’s heating, prepare the rest of the ingredients.
  2. Squeeze a few drops of lemon juice over the dab fillets. ≈ 3 min
  3. Cut the tomatoes in half. For a smoother soup, remove the seeds and chop the flesh into pieces, without the skin. ≈ 8 min
  4. Thinly slice the new onions into rounds. ≈ 8 min
  5. When the broth is simmering, reduce the heat: it should not be boiling anymore.
  6. Add the tomatoes, onions, and fish to the saucepan. Place the lid on loosely and simmer for about 5 minutes in the hot, but not boiling, broth. Use a diffuser if your stovetop doesn’t have a low setting.
  7. Chop the basil into large pieces. ≈ 3 min
  8. Carefully arrange the fish fillets in 4 shallow bowls, using a slotted spoon. Pour the broth and vegetables over the fish. Add 1 teaspoon of pesto to each bowl and garnish with basil.

The bill

Dab soup with pesto and cherry tomatoes

  • 80 cl of fish stock$2.22
  • 200 g of dab fillets$5.97
  • lemon juice$0.11
  • 2 new onions (shallots)$0.41
  • 4 tablespoons of pesto$0.22
  • 1 tablespoon of fresh basil$0.60

Total$9.53

that's $2.38 per person

Estimated price; varies by store.

Before you start

Ingredients

  • 80 cl of fish stock
  • 200 g of dab fillets
  • lemon juice
  • 12 cherry tomatoes
  • 2 new onions (shallots)
  • 4 tablespoons of pesto
  • 1 tablespoon of fresh basil

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