Ingredients for Roasted Tomato Soup (Közlenmiş Domates Çorbası)
- 7 large tomatoes
- 3 cloves garlic
- 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 onion
- 4 water glasses hot water (about 200 ml / 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp each)
- 1 tablespoon salça (Turkish tomato/pepper paste)
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
How to Make Roasted Tomato Soup (Közlenmiş Domates Çorbası)
- Without peeling the 7 tomatoes, cut them in half and arrange them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, then drizzle olive oil over them.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes, adding the garlic cloves to the tray 15 minutes after the tomatoes go in. Once removed from the oven, peel the skins off the tomatoes.
- In a pot, sauté 1 finely chopped onion with half a tea glass of vegetable oil, then add 2 tablespoons of flour and stir briefly. Add 1 tablespoon of salça (Turkish tomato paste). Once the onions turn pink, add the roasted garlic cloves (mashed) and stir for a moment. Then add the roasted tomatoes and 4 water glasses of hot water. Cook, stirring, until the tomatoes break down completely, then add 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Remove from heat, blend with an immersion blender, and serve garnished with mint leaves.
About This Recipe
The tomato, whose native homeland is known to be South and Central America, belongs to the nightshade family.
There is no definitive information about when the tomato first arrived in Turkey. However, through joint research by historians and scientists, it is believed the tomato may have a history of around 300 years in Turkey, paralleling its spread across Europe. In its early days it was consumed while still green, and was therefore called "Frenk Badıcanı" (Foreign Eggplant), under which name it also appeared in related records. In the expense ledgers kept monthly by Damat İbrahim Pasha — who served as Grand Vizier to Sultan Ahmed III during the Tulip Era of 1718–1730 — records from 1723 show that tomatoes were being purchased.
It is widely accepted that the spread of the tomato's now-common name in Turkey was influenced more by the French, French Levantine families, and Turkish students studying in France at the time — as well as French teachers residing in Turkey — than by the Italians. This is because Italians called the tomato "pomodoro" (plural: "pomodori"), while the French called it "tomate" (plural: "tomates").
Today we have put a special twist on our classic Tomato Soup recipe just for you. We loved this version very much — we hope you will too. So without further ado, head to the kitchen for our Roasted Tomato Soup recipe. Enjoy!
