A Feta-Pepper Tomato Soup with Greek Flair

Soups can be very layered, as with a great bouillabaisse, or a bit more basic, though no less delicious, like my mom’s borscht. No matter the level of complexity, soup can be a superb appetizer or a satisfyingly filling main dish.

This soup de jour is a take on something I spotted online and decided to test run. The milk protein component inspired me to create a newfound recipe where I really don’t want to “cut the cheese.” I know my editor gets dismayed when I play with my food (and the words chosen) to develop my storylines. I can trace this horrid trait back to my blessed childhood, when dear Dad first told me to pull his finger. Always the comedian!

Whenever I travel, I test the local cuisines from “soup to nuts” and cheeses are not exempt from my culinary adventures. Gooey, hard, runny, moldy, seeded, herbed, earthy and even stinky … I love ’em all. But the older I get, the more my cardiologist insists on my constraint and decorum so I don’t down a quarter-wheel of good Saint André Triple Crème in one sitting, schmeared onto a single sandwich with a side of cornichons. France can be an artery-clogging goldmine depending upon whether the angel or devil sitting on my shoulder is whispering loudest in my ear.

I’ve experienced many fun travel times in Paris and the French Alps, where cheese is insanely delicious and specialized. Sitting along the Seine or a mountain stream with a simple bottle of red wine, a baguette and a nutty comté could only be outdone by the company kept. For every country traveled, cheeses were cut and consumed with gusto.

One of my fondest cheesy memories involves traveling in Santorini. Getting used to driving a Vespa was the trick when getting around this volcanic caldera island. My girlfriend at the time loved zipping to visit all the beachy sites and I loved packing our picnic spreads. The menu was simple: a ring of bread, a bag of tasty olives, retsina wine and some fresh feta cheese – probably the best feta cheese on the planet. Anywhere in Greece, feta is the king of cheesiness.

When I lived in Astoria, N.Y., I was blessed to be surrounded by the largest Greek population outside of Athens. Feta from the homeland was my go-to snack. The Greeks in the local delis and grocery stores along Ditmars Avenue would always have a five-gallon tin that held this precious protein in a watery bath. I’d saunter in and order a two-pound block at a time. I’m sure there are some talented cheese mongers in the U.S., but when it comes to feta I think the country of origin has them beat. I relish, however, the possibility of being corrected.

There’s also Pasta Mat on Astoria Boulevard. This old-school shop – family run for more than 30 years – had the finest cheesy Italian pastas one could buy in Queens County. I always stopped in when I wanted a box of ravioli – so fresh you could leave a fingerprint on the top layer of pasta! Or a box of spinach pasta still soft out of the machine, sliding in the semolina-dusted box … priceless!

Even more quaint were the occasional times Luciano would be in the back making the pasta and the family matriarch was out front taking the cash. You could tell she was the driving force and love that glued the whole business together; the problem was she wasn’t great with numbers. I recall her expression and frustration when she had more than five or six items to ring. I’d listen to her mumble out “nove, due, tredici, sette,” and when the totals got too big, she’d let out this yodel: “Luciano … Luuuuciano!” Then he’d come out dusted with flour to figure out the numbers, grab the cash and jump back to pounding out perfect pasta for a waiting public.

This is a great soup whether it’s an appetizer or main. Be creative – try topping it with roasted pine nuts or even more cheese on top. I know you will be smellin’ what I’m tellin’. Enjoy!

CHEF SID’S FETA-PEPPER TOMATO SOUP

Serves: 4

Prep time: About 60 minutes

INGREDIENTS

·     1 white onion, coarsely quartered and broken apart

·     2 large red bell peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped

·     3 large vine-ripened tomatoes, seeds removed and coarsely chopped into chunks

·     1/2 cup peeled garlic

·     Rosemary sprigs

·     1 16-ounce can chickpeas, drained

·     1 pound feta cheese, cut into 1/2″ slices

·     1/4-1/2 cup avocado oil

·     32 ounces vegetable stock

·     Salt and pepper to taste

·     1 fresh baguette, cut into 1/2″ slices and pan-seared

·     Smoked paprika

·     Herbes de Provence

PREPARATION

·     Place vegetables, herbs, chickpeas and feta cheese onto parchment-lined baking tray, keeping all separate (see image); baste or spray with avocado or other high-heat oil – it gives you a great char!

·     Bake approximately 35-40 minutes at 425º F; remove rosemary halfway through and set aside.

·     Set aside feta and chickpeas; in blender combine remaining roasted ingredients, including reserved rosemary, and vegetable stock and blend until very smooth.

·      Add feta and continue to blend until smooth, adding salt and pepper to taste.

·     Ladle soup into individual bowls – the heat of the freshly roasted vegetables is enough to serve this dish – and garnish each with chickpeas, smoked paprika and herbes de Provence.

·     Serve with pan-seared baguette slices.

Sid Hoeltzell is an award-winning Miami-based commercial food and beverage photographer and former “MasterChef ” contestant. He has completed more than 450 commissioned works for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, teaches food photography seminars and is a preferred fine art photographer for Christie’s, Sotheby’s and private collections.