Go Back
–+ servings
Overhead view of a bowl of fish soup, sprinkled with fresh parsley.
Print Recipe Add to Collection
4.75 from 4 votes

Fish Soup Recipe

This Budget-Friendly Fish Soup is made with frozen tilapia, butter beans, and a smoky tomato broth. It's easy, affordable, and downright delicious!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American
Total Cost: $11.33 recipe / $1.41 serving
Servings: 8 servings (1.5 cups per serving)
Calories: 212kcal
Author: Jess Rice

Equipment

  • Large Pot

Ingredients

  • 1 onion, (9.5 oz.) large dice $0.54
  • ¼ cabbage, (1.5 cups) chopped $0.75
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced $0.15
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil $0.38
  • 1 tsp salt $0.01
  • ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper $0.09
  • ¼ tsp red pepper flakes $0.03
  • ¼ tsp ground cumin $0.02
  • 1 bay leaf $0.12
  • 2 x 14.5 oz. cans fire roasted diced tomatoes $1.96
  • 1 x 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes $1.96
  • 1 cup roasted red peppers (about half a 12 oz. jar), diced* $1.06
  • 1 x 16 oz. can butter beans, drained and rinsed $1.47
  • 5 cups water $0.00
  • 2 frozen tilapia filets, defrosted and cut into 1-inch cubes** $2.44
  • 1 Tbsp fresh parsley $0.05
  • 1 Tbsp fresh cilantro $0.05
  • 1 lime, juiced (about 2 Tbsp) $0.25

Instructions

  • Gather ingredients and defrost frozen tilapia according to package directions. (I defrosted mine overnight in the refrigerator, but defrosting in cold water also works in a pinch!)
  • Dice onion, chop cabbage, and mince garlic. Add to a large pot with olive oil, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, cumin, bay leaf. Sauté until softened and glossy, about 5-8 minutes.
  • Add canned tomatoes, diced roasted red bell peppers, and butter beans.
  • Add water and stir to combine. Bring up to a simmer for 10-15 minutes, until vegetables are all soft and fully cooked.
  • While the soup is simmering, slice tilapia into 1/2 inch pieces and add to soup.
  • Simmer the soup with tilapia added for only 5 minutes. The pieces of fish will be perfectly white and firm, but not overcooked. Remove from heat, stirring in fresh herbs and lime juice. Adjust salt and pepper, if needed, and enjoy hot.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*I found the flavor of jarred roasted red bell peppers to be more pronounced than roasting fresh ones from scratch. It’s amazing how many peppers they fit in one jar! For flavor and ease of cleanup, I went with jarred roasted peppers instead of fresh ones this time.
**There were 8 filets in one 2lb bag of tilapia from Walmart. I used 2 filets for this budget-friendly fish soup and saved the other filets for later. You can also use another mild white fish like cod or catfish.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 212kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 5g | Sodium: 858mg | Fiber: 8g