Simple Turkish Tomato Soup Recipe (Domates Çorbası)

Turkish tomato soup (Domates çorbası) - never ever disappoints.

As a kid, tomato soup was my absolute favourite soup of all time.

That was ready-made, from a tin!

So when we first came to Fethiye on holiday and I realised it was also a traditional Turkish soup - well, happy days!

Anyone who knows Turkey will know that çorba (soup) is a staple of Turkish cuisine.

But there are some Turkish soups that might prove a challenge (I've never enjoyed a bowl of brain soup, for example).

Others, such as red lentil soup (kırmızı mercimek çorbası), will be some of the best soups you have ever tasted.

And, for us, good old domates çorbası (a simple tomato soup) is a lovely, warming bowl of comfort.

When we started to make our own homemade tomato soup, that was when it got really good!

A delicious soup that holds a special place in childhood memories.

How We Make Turkish Tomato Soup

This is a simple soup recipe using fresh ingredients from Fethiye market.

Seasonal Fresh Tomatoes

We like to eat seasonally so we use whatever fresh tomatoes are in their prime for the time of year.

For this particular soup, in the photo above, we're using late summer pembe domates - pink tomatoes.

They're absolutely huge at this time of year - over 300 grams each - and are meaty and deep red inside.

If it's a time of year where the fresh tomatoes are really not that great, no need to miss out.

Tinned or canned tomatoes will do the job in satisfying your tomato soup craving.

A Hearty Soup

And, as we usually make tomato soup as a main course, we want it to be more substantial.

A hearty dish.

To do this, we make it a şehriyeli domates çorbası - adding a handful of vermicelli or orzo pasta just before the end of cooking.

Şehriye is a common addition to Turkish soups and Turkish rice.

Homemade Chicken Stock

Obviously, you can make this tomato soup as a completely vegetarian dish if you like.

But many Turkish soups are made with chicken stock.

As we head intıo autumn and - eventually - the cold winter days in Fethiye fall upon us, chicken stock is great for soothing the soul as colds do the rounds.

We always keep homemade chicken stock as frozen ice cubes in the freezer.

But it's easy to make up a quick fresh stock if you have any leftover chicken bones you need to use up.

Our simple chicken stock varies depending on whatever odds and ends of veggies we have in the fridge.

But generally, we use:

• Water
• Cooked chicken bones
• Dried thyme
• Bay leaf
• Salt and black pepper

If you want to keep your tomato soup as a quick and easy recipe, you can simply use hot water - or a chicken, beef or vegetable stock cube.

Some Heat & Some Substance

We add a chopped fresh chilli to our tomato soup for a bit of a kick but you can leave this out if you like.

Another option is to sprinkle some chilli flakes (hot red pepper flakes) over the top of the soup when you serve it.

For more depth of flavour and extra comfort value, grated or crushed garlic, a medium onion, salça (tomato puree) butter and flour are going to be perfect companions to the tomatoes.

Quantities are not hard and fast.

The beauty of any soup recipe is that you can add as much or as little as you like of any ingredient.

And, as you may know from our previous Turkish recipes, we like strong flavours.

That's what we get from this combination of ingredients.

What results is a rich in flavour, tomato soup.

And the roux we make from the flour and butter gives us a thicker, smoother consistency.

Combine that with the addition of your vermicelli or orzo pasta and you have yourself a fantastic Turkish tomato soup!

Time To Serve Your Tomato Soup

When you think your tomato soup is ready, give it a taste test to check the consistency.

Add more salça if it's too thin, more stock if it's too thick.

If you're happy with it, remove from the heat, take out the blender and give your soup a good whizz until it's smooth and creamy.

Then add your handful of vermicelli, put the lid on the pan and leave for around 5 minutes whilst the vermicelli softens in the hot soup.

If you're using orzo, put the soup back on a low heat for a few minutes whilst the orzo softens.

We top our şehriyeli domates çorbası with freshly ground black pepper, a drizzle of olive oil and fresh basil.

And, of course, lots of fresh Turkish crusty bread. Essential!

Go The Extra Turkish Mile

When you order tomato soup in local Turkish restaurants, you will often be given a side dish of grated kaşar cheese.

This is for adding to the top of your soup - and lots of people love to do this.

Feel free to add some grated cheese - one that easily melts - to your soup if you like.

Strings of melted cheese stretching betwixt bowl and spoon are not our thing, however.

In other Mediterranean areas, white cheese (feta cheese) or some halloumi 'croutons' are added.

Our Recipe For Turkish Tomato Soup - Şehriyeli Domates Çorbası

Afiyet Olsun!

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