This Greek tomato soup has traditional flavors and it's really easy to make. The additions of feta and basil give a mediterranean feel and make the soup smell like summer. The crushed chili peppers add a nice kick and an extra layer of flavor.
Like most people, I love tomato soup. It is creamy and comforting and in general good for you. I wanted to develop a soup that would allow me to incorporate flavors I grew up with.
This soup has all the aromas of the Mediterranean.
Tomatoes are really important to us Greeks 🙂
A Greek household is never out of tomatoes. When Daryl and I lived in Athens for almost a year he had tomatoes for lunch EVERY DAY. That's right, every single day. He could not believe how tasty and inviting tomatoes were in Greece. He would go to the local market and buy the juiciest most fragrant tomatoes to make a salad. We would add lots of extra virgin olive oil, chopped fresh basil (from our plant on the terrace) and a couple of pieces of feta. These are exactly the flavors I wanted for this fresh tomato soup recipe.
You only need a few ingredients.
- Ripe, juicy tomatoes.
- Bell peppers.
- Fresh herbs like thyme and sage.
- Onions and garlic.
- Vegetable broth.
- Extra virgin olive oil.
- Fresh basil and good quality Greek feta for serving.
Preheat the oven to 300 F. Add the tomatoes, pepper, onions and garlic in a large baking pan, season with salt and pepper and add herbs like oregano, sage, thyme. Herbs can be fresh or dry. I sprinkle 2-3 tbsp olive oil all over, mix gently and bake for 60 minutes.
Half way check the tomatoes, pepper and onions and rotate them so they lay on the opposite side for an even bake. Bake for another 60 min.
Note: My tomatoes were uneven in size. The smaller ones were ready early. I removed any that are done to a plate and set aside.
Transfer tomatoes, onions and the bell pepper to a large pot. Let the garlic head cool on the side.
Discard any hard sprigs from the baking pan and pour the liquid and leftover herbs in the pot with the rest of the ingredients.
Blend everything together in the pot with an immersion blender or transfer to a regular blender. If using a blender, blend in small batches.
Once everything is blended add some stock—enough to achieve the consistency of your preference. I like my tomato soup velvety and not too thick.
Once the garlic is cool enough to handle, press on the bottom of a clove to push it out of its paper. Add all roasted cloves in the soup. Add the bay leaf, a generous pinch of dry oregano, the chili pepper flakes and the paprika. Simmer in very low heat for about 60 min. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Serve in bowls with a generous sprinkle of feta cheese and lots of roughly chopped fresh basil. Add more chili flakes if you like and enjoy!
You may also try:
- An easy and comforting soup is the traditional Greek lentil soup.
- The red kabocha soup with porcini mushrooms is creamy and sophisticated with layers of flavor.
- Greek Soutzoukakia are delicious meatballs in red sauce flavored with cumin.
- This pastourma pie is a traditional Greek/Turkish recipe that will win glorious reviews at your dinner party.
Check all the pantry items a Greek kitchen wouldn’t go without.
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Greek tomato feta & basil soup
Ingredients
- 3 lbs tomatoes
- 1 yellow bel pepper can be red, orange or yellow
- 2 onions quartered and halved
- 1 garlic head
- 6 fresh herbs sage, oregano, thyme
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- salt
- freshly ground pepper
- 1 tbsp red chilli pepper flakes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp dry oregano
- 1 tsp paprika
for serving
- red chilli pepper flakes
- crumbled greek feta
- fresh basil roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 F. Add the tomatoes, bell pepper, onions and garlic head in a large baking pan, season with salt and pepper and add fresg herbs like oregano, sage, thyme.Pour 2-3 tbsp olive oil all over, mix gently and bake for 60 minutes.
- Half way check the tomatoes, pepper and onions and rotate them so they lay on the opposite side for an even bake. Bake for another 60 min.Note: My tomatoes were uneven in size. The smaller ones were ready early. I removed any that were done to a plate and set aside.
- Transfer tomatoes, onions and the bell pepper to a large pot. Let the garlic head cool on the side.
- Discard any hard sprigs from the baking pan and pour the liquid and leftover herbs in the pot with the rest of the ingredients.
- Blend everything together in the pot with an immersion blender or transfer to a regular blender. If using a blender, blend soup in small batches.
- When everything is blended add some stock—enough to achieve the consistency of your preference. I like my tomato soup velvety and not too thick.
- Once the garlic is cool enough to handle, press on the bottom of a clove to push it out of its paper. Add all roasted cloves in the soup. Add the bay leaf, a generous pinch of dry oregano, the chili pepper flakes and the paprika. Simmer in very low heat for about 60 min. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve in bowls with a generous sprinkle of feta cheese and lots of roughly chopped fresh basil. Add more chili flakes if you like and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
