Tomato Soup

This tomato soup recipe is my absolute favourite. When the weather turns cold and the days get a little shorter, this warm, creamy tomato soup will warm you up. Many people have been making tomato soup for generations; in fact, it’s so popular that you can buy it in powder or canned form. But let’s be clear, the canned tomato soup will never be as delicious as the home-made version.

For this recipe, we’ve made an easy liaison with a combination of fresh cream and one egg yolk. This combination adds thickness to the soup and enhances its flavour, giving it a hearty taste.

What do you need to Cook Tomato Soup?

Onion, Garlic Cloves, Fresh Tomatoes, Fresh cream, Water, Tomato Passata, Basil, Oregano, Thyme, Sugar, Salt and Black Pepper powder, Butter, Cooking oil, Chicken stock cube.

Finely chopped onions and minced garlic cloves sautéed in olive oil and butter form the base of this dish. Fresh tomatoes are blanched in hot water, peeled, and cut into small pieces.

The addition of passata sauce with a bit of tomato paste creates a tangy foundation. You can omit the passata sauce and add a little bit more tomato paste. Fresh cream adds richness and enhances the flavour— you can also use heavy cream in place of fresh cream.

Basil, oregano, and thyme with sugar balance the dish’s acidity. Salt and pepper are used for seasoning. A chicken stock cube is dissolved in water and creates a savoury base.

This recipe is a one-pot meal. You will need an immersion blender or a stand blender, but a food processor will also work. Making tomato soup at home is easy and convenient. The flavours are incredibly fresh, and it’s preservative-free. This recipe takes about thirty minutes.

Instructions

Finely cube one onion. Heat the butter in the pot, then add two to three tablespoons of water. Add the onions to the pot and cook for approximately twelve minutes on medium-low heat. It is important not to brown the onions. They need to soften, and the heat will make them sweeter.

Blanch the tomatoes by boiling water in a kettle and add it to a bowl. Make an incision into the skin of the tomato in an x formation. Add the tomatoes. After a few minutes, remove the tomatoes from the bowl and peel them. The skin will easily come off. Alternatively, use a vegetable peeler to do the task. A knife will also work for this step. This process will create a smoother tomato soup.

Chop up the fresh tomatoes. Add it to the pot of the translucent onions. Add the tomato passata. Add the spices. Add one cup of water and the chicken stock cube to the pot. Stir everything together; the tomatoes will gradually break down. Cook with the lid closed and let it simmer on medium-low heat. Stir occasionally to prevent the soup from burning on the bottom. After the soup has simmered, switch off the heat and let it cool for five minutes with the lid open.

Use an immersion blender to puree the soup inside of the pot. The second way is to use a standing blender. Make sure to carefully transfer the soup into the blender with a ladle scoop. After you blend the ingredients, add the content of the tomato soup back into the pot. The soup would have cooled down for the next step.

If you don’t have any of the above-mentioned tools, you can use a potato masher inside the pot to mash the ingredients. Thereafter, use a round strainer or a food sieve sifter.

Now onto the exciting part, thickening up the tomato soup, this process involves mixing the yolk of one egg with the heavy cream. Once combined, add the “Liaison” to the tomato soup pot. Ensure that the soup is not hot. You do not want the mixed cream and egg (Liaison) to curdle. You can turn the heat to medium-low and gently simmer the soup until it thickens.

What to Serve with Tomato Soup?

If you are wondering what to serve alongside the tomato soup, consider a French baguette Garlic bread. If you want something that will satiate you for a longer period of time, consider a Grilled cheese sandwiches. You can top the tomato soup with some crunchy croutons. For a main meal, you can pair a Rib-eye steak or Lamb chops alongside the soup.

Expert Tips

If you are using fresh tomatoes, enhance the flavour with three tablespoons of tomato paste or puree. The fresh cream combined with tomatoes makes the tomato soup a balanced meal. Other ways to balance the soup’s acidity include adding sugar, more onions, or honey. Balsamic vinegar also reduces acidity. For a deeper-flavoured tomato soup, consider roasting the tomatoes in the oven for 25 minutes at 400°F (200°C). Slice the tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil, and bake until they are deeper in colour and caramelized to perfection. Thereafter, follow the remaining steps as outlined in this recipe.

How to Store Tomato Soup?

Store the tomato soup in the fridge for two to four days. Reheat on the stove-top or in the microwave. If you are making a large batch, the good news is that tomato soup lasts long in the freezer and it will freeze well for three to four months. Defrost the soup on the counter-top and reheat on the stove.