Tomato Feta Soup

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This Trader Joe’s-inspired tomato feta soup recipe is easy to make in about 35 minutes and enhanced with fresh basil and tangy crumbled feta chunks in every bite.

Over the past year, our family has developed a small — okay, major — obsession with Trader Joe’s tomato feta soup. ♡

As in, there has literally been a corner in our fridge reserved specifically for those cute little tubs which we’ve hoarded purchased nonstop so that we never accidentally run out. And dozens upon dozens of bowls of tomato feta soup later, we still somehow never grow tired of this one! It’s made with a classic tomato basil soup base, perfectly balanced with sweet, savory, creamy flavors. And then the surprise chunks of crumbled feta in each bite are just perfection, giving the soup an extra hint of tangy flavor and texture that makes it downright irresistible in my book. We can’t get enough of it!

So of course, after purchasing who-knows-how-many batches of the store-bought version, I figured it was time to save a bit on our grocery bill and at least try my hand at making a homemade version. It definitely took a few tries to try and nail the TJ’s flavor balance, but I think I’ve now landed on a version that lives up to the original. And — as a surprise bonus — it turns out that it’s super quick and easy to make in just a little over half an hour! Similarly to the TJ’s version, this recipe is made using canned San Marzano tomatoes, which I love because they’re available year-round (so no need to save this recipe just for summer tomato season). And while we love to make ours identically to the store version, you could also easily add in some extra beans, lentils or Italian sausage if you’d like to include some extra protein.

We love serving ours with toasted sourdough bread and a simple side salad, and it hits the spot each and every time. So if you love a good tomato soup as much as we do, I wholeheartedly recommend giving it a try!

Tomato Feta Soup Ingredients

Here are a few quick notes about the ingredients you will need to make this tomato feta soup recipe:

• San Marzano tomatoes: These famously sweet, richly-flavored tomatoes are the star of the soup, which I love using because you can purchase the canned version anytime of the year whenever the tomato soup cravings hit. That said, if San Marzano tomatoes aren’t available at your grocery store, you’re welcome to use any other good-quality canned tomatoes that you love best. (I recommend purchasing whole tomatoes, which tend to be higher quality than diced.)
• Feta cheese: Crumbly, salty, creamy feta cheese perfectly complements the sweetness of the tomatoes. We’ll add the cheese in after the soup has been blended in order to enjoy the texture of the crumbled feta chunks.
• Veggies: A classic trio of aromatics — onion, carrot, garlic — deepens the soup’s flavor with sweet and savory notes.
• Tomato paste: I find it helps to add a touch of extra tomato paste to this soup to deepen the rich tomato flavor.
• Vegetable stock: This serves as the base for our broth, adding a subtle depth of flavor to each bite.
• Seasonings: We’ll use a simple combination of bay leaf, crushed red pepper flakes, dried oregano, and fine sea salt to infuse the soup with warm, earthy, and subtly-spicy flavor.
• Heavy cream: A splash of cream helps to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes and make the soup perfectly creamy and velvety.
• Fresh basil: We’ll finish the soup with a generous amount of fresh basil, which adds a pop of freshness to each bite as well as a pop of vibrant green color.

Recipe Tips

Detailed instructions for how to make this soup are included in the recipe box below, but here are a few extra tips to keep in mind!

• Use quality tomatoes. This is one of those times when it really is worth it to spend a bit extra on good-quality tomatoes because they will genuinely enhance the flavor of the soup. As mentioned above, I recommend using whole San Marzano tomatoes (I buy mine at Trader Joe’s) whose rich, sweet flavor is a reliable base for this soup anytime of year.
• Blend to your desired consistency. I chose to purée most of the soup base and then add in the crumbled feta, similar to the consistency of the Trader Joe’s version. But feel free to keep your soup more chunky or blend it to be more smooth if you prefer.
• Season to taste. Don’t forget to do a taste-test before serving to adjust the amount of seasonings if needed! The quantity of salt needed will vary based on the type of broth and canned tomatoes that you use.
• Enjoy those leftovers! This is one of those soups that arguably tastes even better the second and third day, so don’t sleep on those leftovers! ;)

Recipe Variations

Here are a few more fun variations that you’re welcome to try with this tomato feta soup recipe:

• Add roasted red peppers: Add a jar of (drained) roasted red peppers to the soup for extra smoky, sweet flavor.
• Add pasta: Add cooked pasta (orzo or tortellini would be excellent) to the soup for extra heartiness.
• Add lentils: Add cooked lentils or beans to the soup for extra protein.
• Add extra veggies or greens: Add additional soup-friendly veggies (i.e. bell peppers, celery, eggplant or zucchini) or greens (i.e. kale or spinach) to the soup for extra nutrition.

More Tomato Soup Recipes

Looking for tomato soup recipes to try? Here are a few of our all-time favorites:

• Roasted Tomato Soup
• Gazpacho
• Ultimate Chili
• Sopa Azteca (Tortilla Soup)
• Italian Sausage, Gnocchi and Tomato Soup

Tomato Feta Soup

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Ali
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 35 mins
• Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x

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Ingredients

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• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium white onion, diced
• 1 medium carrot, finely diced
• 5 large cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 (28-ounce) cans whole San Marzano tomatoes
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon each: crushed red pepper flakes, dried oregano, fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup (0.5 ounces) fresh basil leaves
• 6 ounces crumbled feta

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Instructions

1. Sauté the veggies. Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrot and sauté for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic and tomato paste and sauté for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the garlic is fragrant.
2. Simmer. Add the tomatoes, vegetable stock, bay leaf, crushed red pepper flakes, oregano and salt and stir to combine. Use a wooden spoon or a potato masher to gently break up the large tomatoes. Continue cooking until the soup reaches a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes (if you’re in a hurry) to 30 minutes (if you have time, for greater depth of flavor).
3. Blend (optional). Remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the cream and basil until combined. Use an immersion blender or a traditional blender* to purée the soup until it reaches your desired consistency. (I like to only partially purée mine so that some chunky texture remains.) Stir in the feta until combined.
4. Season. Taste and season the soup with additional salt and pepper if needed.
5. Serve. Serve warm and enjoy!

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