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This Spicy Tomato Feta Soup with Mini Grilled Cheeses is the ultimate comfort food, guaranteed to warm you up on even the chilliest of days. Inspired by the legendary brunch spot, John’s Place, this soup is a must-try for anyone who loves a good bowl of steaming hot goodness. I think it’s time to cozy up with a bowl and some mini grilled cheeses.
Inspiration.
There is a lovely brunch spot in Victoria called John’s Place that’s been an institution for about 40 years. It serves up some pretty yummy fare and is famous for it’s soup of the day. My colleagues and I often raced over to this cute spot to snag a table for their unlimited soup lunch. And the most popular was Tomato Feta Soup day. I never would’ve thought to put feta in my tomato soup but here we are. And I’ve never looked back.
Classic combo.
This recipe begins with roasting juicy tomatoes, sweet onions, and garlic until they’re tender and caramelized. The vegetables are then blended with chicken broth and infused with thyme and bay leaf to create a rich, smooth tomato soup. For an extra kick, the soup is spiced up with chilli flakes, while feta cheese adds tang and depth to the flavours.
But (obviously) any tomato soup isn’t complete without its perfect pairing, the mini grilled cheeses. Crispy baguette slices are filled with melty cheese and grilled to perfection. They are perfect for dipping into the soup, creating the ultimate comfort food experience.
This Spicy Tomato Feta Soup with Mini Grilled Cheeses recipe is easy to make and is sure to be a hit with your family and friends. With its vibrant flavours and cozy warmth, I’m pretty sure this cozy soup will become a new favourite in your recipe collection.
Spicy Tomato Feta Soup with Mini Grilled Cheeses
Ingredients
Soup
- 5 ripe tomatoes
- 1 onion
- 1 head of garlic
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cups chicken broth more as needed
- 1 bay leaf
- several sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 tsp chili flakes more or less per your preference
- ½ tsp MSG
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- sea salt and pepper to taste
Mini Grilled Cheeses
- baguette
- slices of cheddar cheese or your favourite melty cheese
- olive oil for the skillet
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F and prepare a 9”x13” roasting dish.
- Slice garlic in half horizontally, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and reassemble.
- Cut tomatoes in half, peel and quarter onions, and toss in the dish with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Add garlic to the centre and roast for 45 minutes, tossing halfway through.
- Remove the roasting dish from the oven and then turn the oven down to 325F.
- Remove the head of garlic and let cool until you can handle it without burning your fingers, then blend with the other roasted vegetables in a blender.
- Transfer the puree to a heavy soup pot or dutch oven, add chicken broth, bay leaf, and thyme, stir, then cover and bake for 2 hours.
- Stir in chilli flakes, MSG, heavy cream, and feta cheese, and bake for an additional hour.
- Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more chilli flakes if desired. If the soup is too thick for your taste, add more chicken broth to thin. Keep warm in the oven while you make the grilled cheeses.
- To make the grilled cheeses: slice baguette and cheese for the amount of grilled cheeses you want. I made 3 per person.
- Preheat a large skillet and coat with olive oil.
- Assemble the mini grilled cheese sandwiches.
- Cook for 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
- Serve with the soup.
