Baked Feta Soup
Sweet tangy tomatoes team up with salty, creamy feta cheese to make this exquisite soup which is like a gourmet version of regular tomato soup.
Servings: 4
Equipment
- Soup Pot Large
Ingredients
- 2 Pints grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
- 8 Ounces feta cheese plus some crumbles to serve
- ½ Cup yellow onion cut into large pieces
- ½ Teaspoon salt
- 1 Head garlic medium
- 6 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 28 Ounces crushed tomatoes canned
- 3 Cups chicken broth low-sodium
- 1 Sprig fresh thyme or ¼ Teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ Cup fresh basil roughly torn
- ½ Teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 2 Handfuls bread baguette, cubed or torn into pieces
- freshly ground black pepper to serve
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F.
- Place the tomatoes in a pan and put the feta in the middle of the pan. Sprinkle on the onions and drizzle with olive oil and add some salt and pepper flakes.
- Cut the top end of the garlic off. Place the garlic in a piece of tinfoil and drizzle with a little oil. Close tightly and place in the oven.
- Place the pan in the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes have burst and the cheese is lightly browned.
- Remove the pan from the oven and spoon all the ingredients into a blender. Open the garlic and squeeze out the roasted garlic.
- Add the crushed tomatoes to the blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour into a pan and stir in the broth. Add the thyme and half the basil and simmer for 15 to 30 minutes.
- While the soup is simmering, place the torn baguette pieces on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and bake for 5 to 10 minutes until toasted.
- Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and top with baguette croutons, fresh basil and freshly ground black pepper. You can also crumble some feta cheese on top.
Notes
Watch the roasting: Keep an eye on the tomatoes and feta in the oven. Once the cheese is golden and the tomatoes burst, they're ready for the blender. Overcooking them can yield a charred, slightly bitter taste which you won't want.
Blending tip: If you don't have a standard blender, you can put the roasted tomatoes, garlic and feta in the pot and use an immersion blender to puree the mixture. Blend your tomato feta soup for longer for a smoother consistency or for less time for a chunkier one.
Careful while blending: I prefer to let the roasted tomatoes, garlic and feta cool for 10 minutes before blending, so the steam doesn't make the top of the blender pop off (you can imagine how dangerous and messy that can be!) If you're using an immersion blender, you don't need to cool it first.
Blending tip: If you don't have a standard blender, you can put the roasted tomatoes, garlic and feta in the pot and use an immersion blender to puree the mixture. Blend your tomato feta soup for longer for a smoother consistency or for less time for a chunkier one.
Careful while blending: I prefer to let the roasted tomatoes, garlic and feta cool for 10 minutes before blending, so the steam doesn't make the top of the blender pop off (you can imagine how dangerous and messy that can be!) If you're using an immersion blender, you don't need to cool it first.
Nutrition
Calories: 474kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 1874mg | Potassium: 1278mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 2806IU | Vitamin C: 55mg | Calcium: 400mg | Iron: 4mg
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