You’re not going to believe how easy this recipe is. It takes moments to prepare and just 10 to 15 minutes to cook. And it tastes like pure summertime. Sole is one of the fish varieties readily available here (yes, sadly in the frozen section) so I have been cooking a lot with it (remember the Sole Meuniere?). While I usually pan fry it, I got the yen to bake it. Beth had shared some of her beautiful purple basil with me and I was inspired.
I simply topped the sole with a mess of chopped tomatoes, basil, and garlic (one of my favorite flavor combinations) and baked it for about 15 minutes. That’s it. It was super fresh-tasting and light, perfect for a hot day (yes, it’s still incredibly hot in Israel). You could probably go easier on the tomatoes (I know, you can’t even see the sole under all those juicy red tomatoes), but I loved it as is. I served it with boiled red potatoes with plenty of lemon and chives, but any vegetables, rice, couscous, or even pasta would make nice accompaniments.
- Olive oil
- 4 sole filets
- 8 small tomatoes (about 1½ pounds), roughly chopped
- 5 grams basil, chiffonade (about 2 heaping tablespoons)
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Drizzle olive oil on a baking pan. Pat the sole filets dry and lay on the oiled baking dish. Sprinkle tomatoes, most of the basil (reserve some for garnish), and garlic evenly on top. Drizzle with a little additional olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Put in the oven and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until done. Garnish with remaining basil and serve immediately.
Sole is a very adaptable fish, perfect with almost everything! And I like so much this tomatoes version… fresh and light!
It really is adaptable! And this is fresh and light indeed 🙂
“I simply topped the sole with a mess of chopped tomatoes, basil, and garlic (one of my favorite flavor combinations)”
It’s one of mine, too! I really want to include more fish into my diet (it’s not that I don’t like it, it’s the mouths that I often cook for that go ‘yuck’) so I am going to try your recipe as I think it is easily adaptable to only serve one. 🙂
Cheers,
Tobias
This recipe is definitely easily adaptable to serve one. Also, since sole is such a mild fish it’s a good introduction to people who think they don’t like fish!
Katherine, this looks so beautiful and fresh and perfect for the warm nights here. Glad you got some good use out of that basil 🙂
Thank you!! That basil was sooo good – so fresh and flavorful! Thanks!
Oh, this is my favorite kind of dinner! Simple, flavorful AND gorgeous! Nothing beats tomatoes, garlic and basil~
I so agree on all fronts!! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Hi Katherine,
Sounds simple and delicious. We love to make simple fish dishes but I dont think we every tried sole.
Thanks for stopping by, have been going through your blog for the past day. I am in the process of kicking my writing up a notch and hoping to get more gigs in this industry. I am sure I will be spending more time on your web site.
Thank you! Sole is delicious, much like other mild white fish. I’ve enjoyed checking out your blog as well, it is great! Good luck getting more writing gigs! Freelancing is definitely not easy, but well worth it!
Love this! Fast and flavorful. I can’t wait to try it this weekend.
Thank you Lori! I hope you enjoy it!
Beautiful dish, I love this! Tomatoes, basil, and garlic are one of my favorite combinations too.
Thank you so much! Seriously, you can’t go wrong with tomatoes, basil and garlic.
Nice, tasty recipe. Just checking, should potatoes be tomatoes in the recipe?
Oh dear! Thank you so much for catching that typo!! Yes, it should definitely be tomatoes! (changed!). Thanks again 🙂
Beautiful!!! I’m going to be sad when the summer tomatoes sort of die out. I’m keeping my basil plant indoors though so I can have it through the cold!
I know, this is sort of a last hurrah for tomatoes. That’s great that you have a basil plant! I have some sort of cursed black thumb…
Yes, this looks so easy and simple, yet good part is it’s beautiful and yummy!! I totally appreciate this kind of dish…as weekdays with kids’ activities are so chaotic. Thanks for sharing this recipe Katherine!
Thank you Nami! Yes, it really is the ultimate weekday dish as it can be thrown together in minutes and is healthy AND tasty!
Sole is one of my favourite fishes! I use to eat so much of it in Italy. They sell something similar to it here… I will have to try with that! I love tomatoes, garlic and basil… I am Italian after all, right??? hehehe 🙂
Me too! Sole is great, it’s so light and tasty (very mild, but I like that). I’m sure any similar white fish would work just as well here. Seriously, I think tomatoes, basil, and garlic are actually coursing through my Italian-American blood! 🙂
This looks so fresh and inviting! It will be so good with some buttered rice or cous cous. I also like the combination of tomatoes, garlic, and basil. 🙂
Thank you Biren! Yes, it would be lovely with buttered rice or couscous, yum.
Ok, where the hell were you all this time? Why did I never visit this GORGEOUS blog of yours before? So glad to have found you now and now the mistake will be corrected 🙂
Awww I am totally blushing right now. Thaaanks! I’m glad you have found me as well since I am a HUGE fan of your gorgeous blog. 😀
This is so light and easy and sounds sublime. Lovely!
Thank you Lynda! Light and easy it definitely is 🙂