It smells like Thanksgiving morning every time I make this tomato soup. I know we all love watching those TikTok videos of tomatoes, onions and garlic being roasted to perfection in the oven. From my personal experience, however, the tastiest tomato soup recipes really comes down to one key ingredient: the tomatoes. If you use quality ripened sweet tomatoes, you don’t need to roast them in the oven to bring out its natural sweetness. Any additional ingredient you add to the tomato soup will just give it more depth and flavor. The scent of the garlic confit baking in the oven coupled with the tomatoes stewing with the celery seeds will make your home smell like Thanksgiving morning. And when you pair it with your favorite grilled cheese, this soup is a hug in every bite.
key ingredients
- Tomatoes: The type of tomato you use will dictate the level of sweetness of your tomato soup. Cherry tomatoes are the sweetest of the tomato variety. When in season, I prefer Sungold cherry tomatoes because of its vibrant color and sweetness. Substitution: If you can’t find cherry tomatoes, you can substitute them with ripened plum or Roma tomatoes. However, I prefer to roast plum or Roma tomatoes to further bring out their sweetness. If you don’t have time to roast the tomatoes, you can always balance the acidity with some sugar. If you can’t find quality ripened tomatoes, canned San Marzano tomatoes are a great alternative.
- Mascarpone: Mascarpone is a fresh Italian spreadable cream cheese that is slightly sweet. It’s rich texture comes from its high butterfat content. You can usually find it in the dairy or cheese section of your local market. Substitution: Crème Fraîche or Heavy Cream
- Celery Seeds: Celery seed is a spice that comes from the seeds of wild celery. This spice is the perfect compliment to tomatoes. It’s used in brines, dressings, sauces (barbecue sauce) and Bloody Mary’s. A pinch of this in your tomato soup will do wonders so if possible, don’t skip this ingredient!
- Garlic Confit: Traditional garlic confit is easy to make but it does require some time in the oven. If you’re in a rush, you can make garlic confit over stovetop within 30 minutes. Substitution: You can skip this step all together. I’ve made this tomato soup with just freshly chopped garlic and it’s just as delicious. Just add 1 tbsp of chopped fresh garlic to the onions when sautéing.
key steps
- Sauté aromatics: Sauté the onions for about 8 minutes until they become soft and you start to see caramelization forming around the onions. The longer you sauté the onions, the sweeter the soup will get. I also like to add the red chili flakes at the end because of Rey. I reserve a portion of the soup just for Rey before blending. With the remaining soup, I’ll then add the red chili flakes to the pot and let it simmer for another 10 minutes before transferring the soup to a blender.
- Blender: When transferring the tomato soup to a blender, make sure the soup is either cooled or lift the fill cap of the lid slightly to let the steam escape from the jar. If you have an immersion blender, you can blend the soup directly in the pot.
- Garnish: I garnished my tomato soup with a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil and fresh basil. Other garnishes you can use include: croutons, shredded parmesan cheese, swirls of heavy cream or a dollop of mascarpone cheese.
- Garlic Confit: Here are two easy ways you can make garlic confit.
key tools
- Blender or Immersion Blender: When transferring the tomato soup to a blender, make sure the soup is either cooled or lift the fill cap of the lid slightly to let the steam escape from the blender jar. If you have an immersion blender, you can blend the soup directly in the pot.
- Non-Reactive Pot: Non-reactive cookware is made of material that will not react with acidic ingredients. I prefer to use a dutch oven pot when I’m cooking acidic ingredients like tomato. Avoid aluminum, copper, iron, and non-stainless steel pots because they will react with the tomatoes which leave you with a metallic taste to your soup.
Easy Creamy Tomato Soup Recipe
This is the easiest and coziest tomato soup! When you pair it with your favorite grilled cheese, it's a hug in every bite.
Ingredients
- 4 cups Sungold tomatoes or any cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup yellow onions chopped
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup unsalted chicken stock
- 1/4 tsp celery seed
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 cup garlic confit drained without oil
- 1/2 cup mascarpone
- salt + freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp red chili flakes optional
Instructions
- Set a non-reactive pot over medium heat and melt the butter. Then add the onions, garlic and oregano. Stir with a wooden spoon and sauté the aromatics for about 7 minutes until the onions turn translucent and slightly charred.
- Add the tomato paste, celery seed and sauté for another 3 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and chicken stock and turn down the heat to low. Cover the pot with a lid and simmer for about 40 minutes.
- When the soup is done cooking, transfer to a blender or use an immersion blender in the pot. Add the garlic confit and mascarpone and blend until smooth.
- Garnish each bowl of soup with basil, mascarpone and a drizzle of the garlic confit oil. Serve immediately with your favorite grilled cheese. Enjoy!
