Make this Mediterranean Tomato Soup with Feta in just 30 minutes! Enjoy it with grilled cheese on the side for the perfect cozy lunch or dinner!
Is there anything better than a creamy, comforting, and vibrant tomato soup? We think not.
This Mediterranean tomato soup has the perfect balance between sweet and salty (hello, feta cheese!), and is packed with flavor from the fresh basil and garlic!
It's a 1-pot recipe made with simple ingredients and quick and easy methods. Perfect to serve with croutons or garlic bread.
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Ingredients and notes
- Tomatoes: Use whole peeled tomatoes for best flavor. If you're using fresh tomatoes, you can peel them yourself following this method (keep in mind, you don't need to remove the seeds).
- Fresh basil: We think fresh basil is essential, but if you don't have it on hand, you can use fresh parsley, thyme, or dried basil instead.
- Sugar: We use brown sugar, but white sugar and even molasses work well here.
- Vegan or regular cream: In this recipe, a little bit of cream goes a long way, but if you don't want to add it, simply omit it.
How to make Mediterranean tomato soup with feta
Step 1
To a medium pot, heat olive oil and saute onion and carrots for 5-6 minutes or until fragrant and lightly golden.
Step 2
Then, add garlic, tomato paste, and chili flakes (optional), and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the tomato paste has darkened in color.
Step 3
Then, add vegetable broth, peeled tomatoes, fresh basil, sugar, salt, black pepper. Stir and bring to a boil. Cook for 20-25 minutes.
Step 4
Blend the soup until smooth and stir in the cream (optional). Finally, serve it with crumbled feta cheese on top.
Expert Tips
- Use high-quality tomatoes. Your tomatoes can make or break your soup. Keep in mind that cheaper canned tomatoes are more acidic, while more expensive brands are sweeter. If you can, use fire-roasted tomatoes for best flavor!
- Cook the tomato paste until caramelized. I see that most recipes online instruct you to just dump in the tomato paste with the vegetable broth, but this is not how you get the most flavor out of it! Just taking the time to saute it for 2-3 minutes makes a BIG difference, so don't skip it!
- Don't oversalt your soup. I have found that slightly under-salting it is ideal here since the feta cheese is already quite salty.
FAQ
This recipe can work well with fresh tomatoes, just remember to peel them. I suggest using the ripest and reddest tomatoes you can find for the best results!
Yes! You can do that, I just like to put it right on top for more texture.
This soup is naturally gluten-free and can be made vegan by omitting the cream and the cheese.
You can thicken it by using cornstarch or flour slurry. Mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch or flour with 4 tablespoons of cold water. Add to the pot and mix.
Yes! You can freeze it for up to 6 months. Make sure to thaw it overnight before reheating.
More soup recipes to try
Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Soup
📖 Recipe
Mediterranean Tomato Soup with Feta
Equipment
- Soup pot or a Dutch oven
- Immersion blender or regular
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium white onion, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
- ¼-½ teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
- 3 cans (14.5 oz each) whole peeled tomatoes
- 3 cups vegetable broth or water (or more if desired)
- 1 ½ tablespoon sugar
- 5-6 fresh basil leaves, chopped (or sub with 1 teaspoon dried basil)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- ⅓ cup vegan or regular cream (or more if desired; optional)
- ½ - 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- To a medium pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add onion and carrots and cook for 5-6 minutes until fragrant and lightly golden.
- Then, add garlic, tomato paste, and chili flakes (optional) and cook for a further 2-3 minutes or until the tomato paste is caramelized and darkened in color. Add a little bit of oil or water if the bottom starts to burn.
- Crush the tomatoes with your hands and add them to the pot, alongside the vegetable broth, sugar, fresh basil, salt and black pepper. Stir and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to medium and cook for 20-25 minutes or until the carrots are soft and the soup has thickened.
- At this point, you can add the feta and blend it with the soup, but I prefer to add it just before serving for texture. Using an immersion blender, blend until creamy and smooth. (If are using a standard blender it's important to let the soup cool a bit before transferring it. Don't fill the jar more than halfway and make sure that you leave the hole in the lid open so that heat can escape).
- Lastly, stir in the cream (optional), and serve into bowls. Top with the crumbled feta (if you haven't added it already in the previous step), a drizzle of olive oil, and serve with grilled cheese on the side!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with third-party calculations without including the optional ingredients.
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