Tomato Soup
Serves: 6-8
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: tomato soup can be ready in two hours, but is best when slowly simmered for at least three. This is largely unattended cooking time. Tomato soup may be also be prepared using a pressure cooker, Instant Pot, or slow cooker.
As noted above, soup recipes are by nature imprecise. You may need to add more or less liquid to your pot. Please taste throughout cooking to ensure adequate seasoning. See notes, below, for variations.
I made this soup in a lidded 8 quart/liter soup pot.
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1-2 carrots, scrubbed if organic, peeled if not, cut into coins
1 medium onion or shallot, peeled and sliced into half moons or any shape easily eaten from a spoon
1-3 garlic cloves, crushed, peeled, and minced
1-2 sticks celery, rinsed and sliced (optional)
one 28 ounce/822 grams or two 14 ounce/411 grams whole tomatoes in juice or crushed tomatoes in juice, unsalted
4-6 cups/945 ml-1420 ml unsalted chicken or vegetable broth
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
1/2-1 teaspoon smoked paprika
tiny pinch hot red pepper flakes
shot dry marsala (optional)
Approximately 4-5 ounces/60 grams Basmati or other rice
Approximately 4-5 ounces/60 grams red lentils
Approximately 4-5 ounces/60 grams orzo or other soup pasta
Approximately 4-5 ounces/60 grams frozen peas
A few handfuls fresh greens, washed and shredded; I used
baby kale, spinach, and parsley, washed, patted dry, trimmed, and chopped
Approximately 4-5 ounces/60 grams minced ham (optional)
Optional, at the table: sour cream or creme fraiche.
Melt the butter and olive oil in the pot over low heat. The bottom of the pan should be generously coated.
Add the carrots, onion, garlic, and celery, if using. Stir to coat in butter/olive oil and cook gently, partially covered, 5-7 minutes. Vegetables should soften, not brown or fry. If the pot begins drying out, add more butter/olive oil or water.
Once the vegetables have softened a bit–look for the onion to be transluscent–add the canned tomatoes and their juices to the pot. If you are using whole tomatoes, break up them up a bit with a fork, knife, or your very clean hands.
Add the broth to the pot. Stir.
Add the salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and hot red pepper. Add the Marsala, if using.
Bring the tomato soup to a gentle simmer, and keep it simmering for about an hour. If you struggle to keep the burner at even temperature, a flame tamer is calling to you.
Stir occasionally.
After an hour, taste for salt; the soup will likely need quite a bit. Now is the time to add any additional vegetables, like the greens listed above. If you want a thick soup, add lentils, rice, peas and/or pasta now.
The tomato soup can now simmer largely unattended for another 1-3 hours, provided you give it an occasional stir. It may need topping up with a bit of water–about 1/4 cup/60ml.
If you want a thinner soup and plan to add lentils, rice, peas etc, add them 45 minutes before serving time.
Serve tomato soup in deep bowls, accompanied by crusty bread. Sour cream or creme fraiche is nice but not necessary.
Tomato soup keeps, refrigerated, 3-5 days. To keep longer, heat to boiling, cool, and refrigerate again.
Tomato soup will keep in a freezer-proof container up to three months.
Notes/theme and variation
Lacking chicken or vegetable broth, use the juice from the canned tomatoes. If you have tomato paste, add 2 tablespoons.
As noted in the post, lentils, rice, and soup pasta or orzo may be added midway through cooking or about 45 minutes before serving. If you add the starches midway, they will thicken, creating a thick soup. You will need to add more liquid during cooking to compensate. This can be broth, additional tomato, or water.
The ham was requested by my husband. The soup is good without it.
Tomato soup is infinitely variable. Top it with a spoonful of sour cream or creme fraiche. Add cubed, peeled potatoes instead of the small pasta. Add another type of pasta. Take the soup in a Southeast Asian direction by seasoning with coconut milk, red lentils, rice, star anise, lime, fish sauce, white pepper, brown or palm sugar and dried hot red pepper. Chop boneless skinless chicken thigh or breast for a heartier dish and add it to the hot soup, allowing it to cook in the hot broth (make sure it’s cooked through!)
For a first course dish, leave the tomato soup plain. Just before serving, crack an egg into each bowl. Ladle the hot soup over and stir rapidly.
Fresh black beans may be added to the soup (or canned), along with two teaspoons of crushed cumin, minced fresh cilantro (to taste), thinly sliced radishes (yes, add them to the soup) and a shot of tequila. Serve with fresh avocado, sour cream, and tortillas. And no, this is hardly authentic Mexican food.