Here's a gorgeous and simple soup to make on a warm day no matter where you are. Drizzle in some delicious extra-virgin Greek olive oil, which you can find, together with a lovingly curated array of Greek ingredients on my online store here.
Course
soup, starter
Cuisine
Greek cuisine, Mediterranean diet
Keyword
Diane Kochilas, feta cheese, mastiha, red pepper soup, red peppers
1.Puree the peppers and chiles in a food processor until smooth.
2.Heat the olive oil in a largeheavy soup pot over medium heat, add the onion and garlic and sauté, stirring, until soft, about 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for a minute, to soften. Add the peppers, oregano, and thyme, and stir. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. to taste. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the lemon juice and stir. Add the cream, stir to combine well, and simmer another 5 minutes, or until smooth. Remove from heat, cool to room temperature and chill for at least three or up to eight hours. You can serve the soup at this point or chill it and serve cold.
To make the feta cream: Place the fetaMastiha olive oil, Mastiha powder, lemon juice, mint, and pepper to taste in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Serve the chilled soup , either hot or cold, with a little of the feta cream spooned into each bowl. You can also put the feta cream in a pastry bag and decoratively pipe it into each bowl.