1.18.2013

Fresh Tomato Soup


Do you remember my mentioning my sister is the soup-maker of the family? She still is (as was my mother), but once in a while, I do make some myself. Not often, though. 
It really surprised me to see 13 soups listed in my blog recipes. While so many people love a cup of soup for lunch....my sister has one every day....it never seems to satisfy me. Perhaps if someone else was making it for me? :) Perhaps I find it bothersome making a pot just for one? Although most soups do freeze beautifully. But even years ago, in Michigan, I didn't make all that many soups for my family; the kids ate lunch at school and everyone wanted something more substantial for dinner. 

Tomato soup was a favorite of my father's but it's one soup I never remember my mother making from scratch; it was always a can of Campbell's tomato. (He also loved Mulligatawny.... one of the original 31 Campbell soups. It was discontinued in the 30's, but I remember him talking about it. Perhaps he thought the name was fun, he was like that....or perhaps he actually liked it so much my mother made it from scratch after it was discontinued. I just don't recall. And Pepper Pot was high on his soup list too, which is more difficult to find these days, but Campbells's does still make it.)


Anyway, I had a craving for tomato soup recently. There are endless recipes to choose from but I turned first to Ina Garten. Ina has several versions but I liked the sound of this particular one and it turned out to be a good choice. It was satisfying, flavorful and not one of those soups that takes 5 hours of simmering.

(I'm sure you'll notice the cheesy bacon bread sticking out of it....I'll have the recipe for that coming up soon.)

Cream of Fresh Tomato Soup
From Ina Garten's "Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics"




Ingredients:
3 tablespoons good olive oil 
1 1/2 cups chopped red onions (2 onions) 
2 carrots, unpeeled and chopped 
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves) 
4 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, coarsely chopped (5 large) 
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar 
1 tablespoon tomato paste 
1/4 cup packed chopped fresh basil leaves, plus julienned basil leaves, for garnish 
3 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade 
1 tablespoon kosher salt 
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 
3/4 cup heavy cream 
Croutons, for garnish

Method:
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and carrots and saute for about 10 minutes, until very tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste, basil, chicken stock, salt, and pepper and stir well. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes are very tender. 

Add the cream to the soup and process it through a food mill into a bowl, discarding only the dry pulp that's left. Reheat the soup over low heat just until hot and serve with basil leaves and/or croutons. 

34 comments:

  1. Looks very delicious and warming. Just the right one for the season.

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  2. I'm like you and can't get into cooking soup for one person. On the other hand it practically cooks itself and uses up all those leftover bits in the refrigerator. Sometimes a soup will jump out at me and this is one of those times.

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  3. Marvelous! I'll have to try this soup as soon as I put my hands on tomatoes (in a few months). :-)

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  4. I love soup, especially something creamy, but I've never made a tomato soup. When I lived with a British woman, she made it from scratch and insisted it was as easy as opening the can...

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  5. Good Afternoon Barbara, I love tomato soup, but as you say, it is finding the right recipe. Your photograph makes me want to pick up the spoon and enjoy your soup.....along with the cheesy bacon bread which looks absolutely delicious. Have a lovely day, Best Wishes Daphne

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  6. This sounds so delicious, Barbara. I miss the wonderful farmers' market tomatoes in the summer but every so often I see some decent ones at the grocery store. Your cheesy bacon bread looks like the perfect thing to serve with this soup.

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  7. We frequently enjoy soups and I always make enough to freeze. There's something comforting in having a frozen soup to pull out and heat. Your tomato soup looks and sounds delicious. I'm putting it in my soup "file".

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  8. I just made my first homemade tomato soup last week and really enjoyed it. The addition of cream in your recipe sounds yummy, so I'll have to try it!
    I've always been a soup lover, but I tend to make heartier soups so they are more filling-they are more stew like I gues.

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  9. Sounds great Barbara. Should the tomatoes be peeled before cooking? I don't own a food mill; would a food processor work? Janie

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  10. Homemade tomato soup is so good. I am glad you decided to make it. I love soup and make at least one pot a week.

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  11. Every once in awhile I get a craving for tomato soup, too--this recipe looks perfect. Can't go wrong with Ina!

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  12. Who would even think of canned after this :D

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

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  13. There's nothing more comforting than tomato soup, but homemade just tops everything! Looks delicious!

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  14. Hi Barbara,

    Tomato soup is one of my favourites for winter - not exactly soup weather here now though.
    The homemade is always so much better than the canned, that has so much artificial colouring.
    Have a great weekend
    hugs
    Carolyn

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  15. I love a good tomato soup Barbara. Actually I like any good soup, especially in the winter. Your post just reminded me that I have yet to make any soup this winter. I have been trying to lose the five pounds I put on during the holidays and all the soups I like to make are a little fattening. :-)
    I hope you are enjoying your winter and want to wish you a great 2013!
    hugs from here...

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  16. My most favorite soup in the whole wide world!

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  17. My mother was an excellent cook and made good soup, but I don't ever recall tomato soup. I grew up in south Arkansas tomato country and the only times we ate tomatoes was when they were fresh out of someone's garden. Maybe that explains it...I don't know. We never had canned soup of any kind either.

    Great photos and have a lovely weekend.
    Sam

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  18. Anxiously awaiting the recipe for that bread! YUM!

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  19. I must make this soup when I have tomatoes fresh from the garden. Now I'm wishing for summer days instead of the freezing weather and snow on the ground.

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  20. I love soup too, and I think it's a perfect lunchtime meal. Even a great dinner, if we've had a bigger lunch and are looking for something more casual.

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  21. Ina's recipes are always so dependable. I'm saving this one for next summer when I have fresh tomatoes.

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  22. mmm, just thinking about this rich warm soup puts me in a good mood. delicious!

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  23. My mother never made tomato soup either even though she made some very delicious soups from scratch. I guess Campbells was just too good and convenient.

    This looks wonderful, Barbara! I would love to make some but good tomatoes have skyrocketed in price here so I'll have to wait until they go on sale. I can't wait to see the recipe for that bread too - oh my!

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  24. Oh that looks divine!!

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  25. the tomatoes we have right now are so anemic and gross that soup is the only answer! paired with a grilled cheese, there's nothing that can top tomato soup. :)

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  26. Beautiful soup Barbara....looks so appetizing...and yes I love soup, especially when the weather is cold...
    Have a great week!

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  27. I love the fact that it doesn't take hours to be ready! Looks very hearty and delicious Barbara!

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  28. Ben loves tomato soup and I love sandwiches-- win!

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  29. It looks fantastic! Realmente exquisito me encanta tiene un aspecto perfecto y delicioso,hugs,hugs.

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  30. Hah! Great minds think alike. This is my "go to" summer soup. I make it all the time.

    It is wonderful...

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  31. I tend to like a bowl of soup for a meal during the winter months, I make a big batch on the weekends and just reheat it during the week. I haven't had tomato soup in a while, time to add it to the rotation.

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  32. I love tomato soup! And this looks so creamy and delicious. We have soup here a lot, and this one's a must have!

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  33. Love the look of that comforting tomato soup!

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  34. The recipes are great. Thanks for sharing. It really looks good.

    RSA online

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