Spicy Roasted Tomato Soup with Herb Salad

Roasting is what separates this soup from the watery canned stuff. A hot oven concentrates the tomatoes and softens whole cloves of garlic until they turn sweet and jammy, so the blended base tastes deep and faintly smoky instead of thin.

Horseradish and Worcestershire build the heat and a savory backbone, while fresh lemon juice keeps the whole thing bright. Everything gets pureed smooth, then chilled hard, which makes it a cooling starter for a hot afternoon.

The herb salad piled on top is the real trick. Yellow teardrop tomatoes, thin-sliced red onion, basil, tarragon and chervil give every spoonful a fresh, peppery crunch against the smooth soup below.

Chef Tips

• Roast the tomatoes until the edges char a little. That browning is where the deep flavor lives, so don’t pull the pan early.
• Chill the soup thoroughly before serving. The flavors round out and the horseradish mellows into a gentle warmth as it sits.
• Dress the herb salad at the last second so the leaves stay perky and don’t wilt down into the onion.
• Taste again after chilling and adjust the salt. Cold dulls seasoning, so it usually needs more than you’d expect.

Variations

• Swap the horseradish for a minced fresh chile or a few dashes of hot sauce for a different style of heat.
• Stir a spoonful of plain yogurt or a swirl of cream into each bowl to soften the spice and add body.
• Blend in a handful of cucumber for a gazpacho-style spin that leans even cooler.