Tomato soup is one of my favorite soups both to make, and to eat. It reminds me of being a kid, especially when paired with a grilled cheese sandwich. This particular soup is a rich, elegant, and an immensely flavorful version. It's an amalgam of different versions that I've made over the years, with some inspirations from chefs I've worked with over the years.
I use dairy in this soup, but no flour or wheat to thicken. If you have a gluten intolerance you could easily omit the garnish and you'd be good. Actually, if you wanted to make it vegan and gluten free, just use a different garnish completely, and instead of the heavy cream I use, add another potato and increase the spices a touch.
The garnish I use for this is grilled Halloumi, that have been diced into manageable cubes, and rye croutons. The recipe I've linked for the croutons is a different flavor, but conceptually the same. Just lightly season the croutons, omit the herbs, cheese, and pancetta, and follow the same recipe. As for the Halloumi, pat it dry, lightly season and place on a grill when hot to get your marks.
Ingredients
Tomatoes, fresh or canned 5 lbs
Crushed Red Pepper 2 tsp
Onion, diced 1 ea
Carrot, peeled and sliced 3 ea
Oil 1 T
Idaho potato, peeled and diced 1 ea
Baking Soda 1 T
Salt and Pepper to taste
Heavy Cream 2 cups
Garlic, sliced 5 cloves
Clove, ground 1 tsp
Oregano, fresh whole 1/2 oz (1 stem)
Basil, fresh whole 1/2 oz (1 stem)
Hot sauce, like Grace 2 tsp
Smoked Paprika 2 tsp
Water 2 qt
Garnish
Rye croutons, grilled Halloumi, basil flower, extra virgin olive oil
Method of Procedure
Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
Score and core your tomatoes as shown in the first picture. The scoring on the underside is important to help peel the skin from the tomato.
When boiling, gently place your tomatoes into the water and let sit for about 5 minutes, until the skin starts to peel around. Remove from water and shock in an ice bath.
Once cooled remove from water and peel the skin from the tomatoes. It's best to do this over an empty bowl, so catch any of the tomato liquid that comes out.
In your soup pot heat your oil and saute carrots, garlic, onions, and crushed red pepper for about 15-20 on medium heat until the vegetables soften.
Chop up your tomatoes put into your soup pot. Make sure to include any of the liquid that comes out of the tomatoes.
Add water, clove, hot sauce, oregano, basil, and smoked paprika. Simmer on medium heat for about one hour.
Remove the basil and oregano then blend using a stick blender. Puree the soup until it is well blended then add cream. Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper to your taste.
Add the diced potato and simmer for an additional hour until the potato is completely cooked. The larger your dice, the longer the soup will need to cook.
If you have a real blender, then now is the perfect time to use it. If not use your stick blender, or a food processed and blend until completely smooth.*
Once fully pureed, strain your soup through two sieves, one larger than the other, into a large container. Go slow, in small batches and use a ladle to push the soup through. Once finished taste your soup and season to your palate.
To serve, heat and garnish with croutons, Halloumi, basil, and extra virgin olive oil.
*You really can't over blend this. The longer you blend, the easier it will be to strain and get the finish you are looking for.
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