Yesterday was one of those rainy and cool days. I’m definitely feeling fall in the air. I ran an errand during my lunch hour which entailed trudging through the monsoon to my car and back. Umbrella up, but did it help? Not so much. When I got back to my frigid office with wet shoes and pants, I begin daydreaming about comfort food… something warm and soothing. Ah! Tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches!! Decision made.
I’m on a little bit of a smoked tomato kick this week. The smoked tomato and cheddar grits started the trend. As I pondered tomato soup, I decided that smoked tomatoes might work. At home I fired up the Big Green Egg and threw on a couple of pounds of Roma tomatoes. Basic grocery store Romas don’t have much flavor on their own. However, when they are roasted or smoked, their flavor intensifies, so that’s what I used. Check out this post for more details on how to smoked the Romas.
The soup was a success and alongside, I had grilled ham, gruyere, and pesto sandwiches on three grain sourdough. Soup, sandwich, a little TV, partner and canine kids close by and it was a good Tuesday night.
Ingredients
2 lbs Roma tomatoes, smoked
1 28 oz can whole San Marzano tomatoes
2 cups chicken stock
1 large leek, white and light green part thinly sliced
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup cubed whole grain bread
1 tbsp butter, melted
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
Instructions
1. In a large soup pot or dutch oven, saute leeks and garlic in olive oil until wilted.
2. Roughly chop smoked tomatoes.
3. Add canned and smoked tomatoes and chicken stock to the pot.
4. Add salt, pepper, sugar, and pepper flakes.
5. Bring to a boil and reduce heat.
6. Simmer for 30 minutes.
7. Remove from heat. Using a submersion blender or food processor, puree the soup until smooth.
8. Stir in heavy cream and basil.
9. Add salt and pepper to taste.
1. Melt butter in saucepan.
2. Place bread cubes in a bowl.
3. Pour butter over bread.
4. Add garlic powder, salt, and pepper and toss well.
5. Place bread on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until croutons are slightly brown and crunchy.
Ladle soup in bowls and garnish with 4 or 5 croutons and a leaf of fresh basil.
https://southernboydishes.com/2012/09/20/smoked-tomato-and-basil-soup/
Bill Harris
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Let me start by saying “Thank You” for coming up with such a deliciously simple recipe for tomato soup. OMG this was so easy to make. I love soups and don’t always love everyone’s tomato soup but this one is definitely a winner. Now my hubby he LOVES tomato soup so I couldn’t wait to make this for him to get his opinion. Well he LOVED it. I kicked up the red pepper flakes a bit because we both love a little “kick” in our foods. I was too impatient to wait for him to smoke the tomatoes over the weekend so I made 2 batches of this soup. One by roasting the tomatoes, garlic, and leeks and then the second batch with the smoked tomatoes. Both were good just that the 2nd batch had the smoky flavor I wanted but if you can’t smoke them then by all means roast them. lol Either way you’ll be very pleased and go to bed with a full tummy because you’ll definitely have more then 1 bowl of this. And don’t let me forget the croutons!! They were equally as delicious. I could have eaten a bowl of them all by themselves, but my 2 girls were fighting me for them! They also enjoyed the soup and asked if I would pack some up for them for their school lunches the next day! With the hubby and the kids loving this, it will definitely be added to my winter soup rotation. And next time I’ll have to make the grilled cheese to go with the soup. This is a winner Bill! Good job! I can’t wait to see what else you’ll be cooking up this winter.