Domates Çorbası (Turkish Tomato Soup with Cheese)
دوماتیس چوربا سی (پنیر کے ساتھ ترکی ٹماٹر کا سوپ)
Turkish tomato soup is simpler and silkier than most. Butter and a spoon of flour are cooked together first, then fresh grated tomatoes and a little tomato paste go in with stock, and a splash of milk at the end makes it smooth and mild. It's always served the same way in Turkey: with a handful of grated kaşar cheese melting into the hot soup. It's quick, cheap and loved by children.
- ⏱ Total: 35 min
- Prep: 10 min
- Cook: 25 min
- Easy
- Serves 4
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Melt the butter in a pot over medium heat, add the flour and stir for 2 minutes until it smells toasty but doesn't brown.
Stir in the tomato paste for a minute, then add the grated tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes.
Gradually whisk in the stock so no lumps form. Simmer for 15 minutes, then blend smooth if you like.
Stir in the milk, sugar, salt and pepper and heat through without boiling. Serve with grated cheese on top.
Ladle into bowls and top with cheese.
Kitchen notes
Grate tomatoes on a box grater, cut side down; the skin stays in your hand.
Out of season, use a 400 g tin of chopped tomatoes.
Add the milk off the boil, or it may split with the acidic tomatoes.
A simple classic
Domates çorbası is on the menu of nearly every Turkish soup shop and canteen, and it’s one of the first soups Turkish children learn to love. The recipe is humble: tomatoes, a little butter and flour, stock and milk. What makes it Turkish is the cheese on top.
Fresh or tinned
In summer, Turkish cooks grate fresh, very ripe tomatoes straight into the pot; the skins stay behind on the grater. The rest of the year, tinned tomatoes or a little extra tomato paste do the job. A pinch of sugar rounds off sharp tomatoes.
Creamy without cream
The butter-and-flour base, like a light roux, gives body, and a splash of milk at the end softens the acidity. Blending makes it silky, but many people leave it slightly textured.
Serving
Serve hot with grated cheese and warm bread or simit. For a heartier Turkish soup, try mercimek çorbası; for a tangy one, yayla çorbası.
Questions people ask
What is kaşar cheese?
A mild, semi-hard Turkish cheese that melts well. Mozzarella, young cheddar or any mild melting cheese works.
Can I make it dairy-free?
Yes. Use olive oil instead of butter, skip the milk and cheese, and add a little more stock.
Can I add rice or vermicelli?
Yes. A handful of vermicelli (şehriye) or rice cooked in the soup makes it more filling.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 170
- Protein
- 6 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 15 g
