How to Make Tomato Soup

Tomato soup is a healthy, low-calorie comfort food. It is also great way to warm up on a rainy day and it goes perfectly with grilled cheese sandwiches. This recipe is for soup made from tomatoes that are roasted, then stewed and pureed.

EditIngredients

2 pounds tomatoes

4 cloves garlic, peeled

1 red bell pepper

1 large onion

3 sprigs fresh thyme

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 quart chicken or vegetable stock

salt and pepper to taste

EditSteps

EditPeeling the Tomatoes

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Fill the pot about halfway with water, then place it on a burner over high heat and allow it to come to a full boil.

Cut an "x" shape into the tomatoes. Use a sharp knife to cut an "x" on the tops or bottoms of the tomatoes. It's not necessary to cut too deep - just pierce the skin. This will make it easy to peel off the skin after the tomatoes have been blanched.

Blanch the tomatoes. Drop a few tomatoes into the boiling water. Let them blanch for about 30 seconds. Remove the tomatoes and place them on a cutting board to cool. Repeat with the remaining tomatoes.
- Don't leave the tomatoes in the water too long. Blanching loosens their skins, but leaving them in the pot for more than 30 seconds will cause them to actually start cooking, which will make them lose their flavor.
- Be careful when removing the tomatoes from the boiling water. The best tools to use are tongs or a large slotted spoon.

Peel the tomatoes. Take a cooled tomato and insert your finger under the skin where you cut the "x." Pull on the skin to peel it away in large strips. Continue until all the skin has been removed. Repeat with the remaining tomatoes, and discard the skin.

EditRoasting the Vegetables

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the vegetables into large slices. Cut up the peeled tomatoes, the bell pepper, and the onion. There's no need to make the slices even or bite-sized, since they will be pureed at a later stage.

Toss the vegetables with oil. Place the cut vegetables into a large bowl. Add the garlic and the sprigs of thyme. Pour the oil over the vegetables and use two large spoons to toss the ingredients together until all of the vegetables are coated in a thin layer of oil.

Place the vegetables on a baking sheet. Spread them evenly so that each piece is touching the baking sheet, which will ensure that they each caramelize a bit. Arrange the thyme sprigs evenly around the vegetables.

Roast the vegetables for 30 minutes. Place the baking sheet in the oven and let the vegetables cook. The tomatoes will release a fair amount of juice, which you might hear boiling over the rim of the baking sheet and sizzling in the oven. Let the vegetables keep cooking until the onions are slightly brown on top.

EditCombining the Vegetables and Stock

Transfer the roasted vegetables into a large stockpot. Use a spatula to help you scoop the tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic and thyme into the pot. Transfer all the juices, too.

Add the stock. Pour the quart of chicken or vegetable stock over the vegetables. If you like thicker tomato soup, you can scale back the stock by 1/2 cup. For thinner soup, add 1/2 cup water to the stock.

Season the soup and let it simmer. Taste the soup and add a pinch of salt and pepper. Place the pot on a burner and turn the heat to medium. Let the flavors simmer together for 30 minutes. Taste the soup again and adjust the seasonings if necessary.

EditFinishing the Soup

Puree the soup. Working in small batches, transfer the soup to a blender. Puree it until it's smooth in consistency. Pour the pureed soup into a separate container, then puree another batch. Continue until the entire pot of soup has been pureed, then transfer it back into the soup pot so you can keep it warm.
- If you like chunks of tomatoes in your soup, reserve half the soup and puree the rest. Combine the unblended soup with the pureed soup in the original soup pot.
- If you have a stick blender, you may find it easier to puree the soup using that rather than transferring it to a standar blender.