This is my own homemade hearty autumn tomato soup recipe. Scroll down to the bottom for the recipe and instructions.
It is coming to the end of summer and the rains are arriving again. A lot of my tomatoes are starting to get rain split so I’d had to be pretty quick with getting them off the vine. Later this week I’ll likely pick what is left and still green, and bring them indoors to ripen where it’s dry. The basil is also nearing the end of it’s season and I’ll likely have to bring the rest in to dry soon, but for now I’m blessed to still have big fresh tasty leaves on the back patio.
As the weather gets colder and the trees begin to show us the value of letting go I find myself craving warmth and comfort. I’ve been easing this transition with this hearty autumn tomato soup recipe.
The trick to making a really delicious, smooth and creamy tomato soup is two things:
You need really high quality tomatoes. Garden fresh is always the tastiest option, so hit up your locals farmers market if you can and stock up. I choose tomatoes that border on being over ripe as they are the sweetest. Cherry tomatoes provide the most amazing flavor but they are by far the most amount of work. Beefsteak tomatoes are the least flavourful for soups. For this recipe I used a mix of roma and cherry tomatoes.
You’ll need to remove the skin from the tomatoes to get a smooth consistency. You can opt to blanch the tomatoes by cutting a small “X” in the bottom of the tomato and dropping them into boiling water for 20-40 seconds (the skins should begin to lift very quickly) Or you can take the long, flavourful road, which is what I did. I cut & seasoned the tomatoes and roasted them in the oven until slightly browned and then peeled them just before adding them to the soup.
HEARTY AUTUMN TOMATO SOUP INGREDIENT LIST:
Approximately 4 cups worth of tomatoes sliced in halves (cherry tomatoes I leave whole) 2-3 TBSP butter or butter alternative 1 small onion finely diced 1 stalk of celery finely diced 2 carrots finely diced 4 cloves of minced garlic 2 vegetable or onion low-sodium bouillon cubes dissolved in 4 cups hot water 2 dried bay leaves 3 TBSP of fresh chopped herbs (I used rosemary, oregano & thyme, one tbsp of each) other options could be sage, marjoram, fennel, tarragon savory, chives, lovage, or parsley. white pepper & sea salt to taste 1 cup of loosely packed basil, measured and then coarsely chopped 1/2 cup of cream (cream alternatives like cashew cream, coconut cream, or skipping cream all together also work)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C). Using a baking sheet with a lip (as some juices will leak from the tomatoes, especially ripe beefsteak or cherry tomatoes) place the tomatoes sliced face up on the sheet, drizzle with olive oil, add garlic or herbs and allow them to roast about 20 minutes or until the skins begin to brown, wrinkle, or burst.
In a large pot, sauté onions, garlic, celery and carrots over medium heat until slightly soft and onions are transparent.
Add bay leaves and fresh chopped herbs EXCEPT the basil to your sautéed vegetables. Stir and allow to cook for about 3-5 minutes.
Once the tomatoes are ready, and have a had a chance to cool off a bit use a spatula to flip them over and pinch the skins off. If you blanched the tomatoes instead you can peel them as soon as they are cool enough to touch. (Or if you like to live on the wild side like me, and don’t mind burnt finger tips, peel them while they are scalding hot as fast as you can – haha)
Roughly chop the tomatoes up and add them to the soup mix.
Add hot water and bouillon cubes and allow to come to a boil, then turn the soup down to a simmer. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes.
Remove the dried bay leaves from the soup.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Pour everything that’s in the pot into a blender or food processor, add the chopped basil & cream, and blend until desired consistency. (I blend for about 3-5 minutes on high because I prefer a really smooth consistency.)
Serve hot and enjoy!
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Serving size: About 1 cup: Calories 160 Fat: 8 Saturated Fat:5 Cholesterol: 25 Carbohydrates: 17 Dietary fiber: 8 Total Sugars: 14 Protein: 5 *Nutritional Information will vary based on the substitutions you make & alternatives you use.