Baked Feta Soup
INGREDIENTS & SUBSTITUTIONS
- Feta cheese: Feta is a Greek cheese and it has a wonderful salty and tangy flavor that works so well in this soup. You can use goat cheese instead if you prefer that. Look for French feta cheese if possible for the ultimate creaminess.
- Cherry tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes are baked whole to really enhance their natural sweetness. The baking process softens them so they mix easily with the other soup ingredients.
- Onions & garlic: Onions and garlic are softened to release their flavors to add more depth to the soup.
- Canned crushed tomatoes: We use crushed tomatoes as well as the baked cherry tomatoes for a really rich flavor. You can use tomato sauce for a smoother consistency or diced tomatoes for a chunkier soup.
- Olive oil: For cooking the soup and baking the feta with the tomatoes. It adds a nice rounded flavor to the finished soup, but you can use canola or vegetable oil.
- Spices: Salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes and fresh basil to garnish.
- Vegetable broth: Keep this soup meat free by using vegetable broth, or you can use chicken stock if you prefer.
- Pasta: Adding short grain pasta in this soup makes it more filling. Orzo works great. For a lighter soup, you can skip the pasta if you prefer or add other vegetables like diced zucchini or riced cauliflower.
HOW TO MAKE BAKED FETA SOUP
BAKE THE FETA & TOMATOES
- Place the tomatoes and feta in an oven proof dish, pour over the oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Bake until the tomatoes burst and the feta melts.
COOK THE SOUP
- Soften the onions and garlic in oil and adding seasoning.
- Add the tomatoes, vegetable broth and thyme and simmer.
- Add in the baked tomatoes and feta along with the orzo and simmer until cooked.
TIPS FOR MAKING THE RECIPE
- Crowd the baking dish with the cherry tomatoes. When roasting cherry tomatoes if you want them saucy, crowd the pan; if you want them dry roasted, place in a single layer. It’s better to use a smaller baking dish than a larger one.
- Season the soup from the beginning. The key to making a great soup is to add flavor right from the get go. Season the onions and tomatoes early in the process to start to build those layers of flavor. You can omit the chili flakes if you prefer things mild, or add more if you like your soups spicy.
- Make a smoother soup. I love the texture of this soup, but if you prefer a smoother soup, you can blend it together before you add in the orzo to cook. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup in the pot, or transfer it carefully (it will be very hot!), in batches, to a stand blender.
- Cook the pasta separately. For convenience and using less dishes, it’s easier to cook the orzo pasta with the soup. However, for best results, especially if you’re expecting leftovers, cook the pasta in another pot and ladle into soup bowls.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Because this soup contain orzo pasta, it’s best to enjoy it fairly soon after it’s made, other wise the orzo can overcook and become very soggy.
If you want to make this ahead of time, you can make the whole recipe up to the point of adding in the pasta, then let it cool and store it. It will keep well for 4 to 5 days in the fridge. Reheat the soup to a simmer and add in the orzo to cook it before serving.
Yes, this soup will freeze well, but again, if you plan on doing this, leave out the orzo until you reheat it. The frozen soup will keep well for up to 6 months and should be thawed in the fridge before reheating.
Yes, goat cheese works really well and it creates that perfect perfect texture. Cook time may be less depending on how large the block of cheese is.
This baked feta soup is so wonderfully rich in flavor. If you’ve tried baked feta pasta, you are going to love this variation of it! It’s a great soup to enjoy with seasonal tomatoes during the summer or all year round.
