Herbed Fresh Tomato Soup
Submitted by rover
Herbed fresh tomato soup blends six peeled tomatoes with basil, thyme, and a hit of hot pepper sauce, then purees smooth for a low-fat, freezer-friendly weeknight bowl. Light, herby, and budget kind.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
40 minREADY
60 minHerbed fresh tomato soup is what late-summer tomatoes were made for. Six peeled tomatoes get a long simmer with sweet onion, fresh basil, thyme, and a slick of olive oil. The tomato paste deepens the color and pulls more umami out of even mid-week supermarket tomatoes.
A full 40-minute simmer matters here. That’s what breaks the tomato cell walls down so they puree smooth without needing cream or butter. Blending the soup in batches keeps it from splattering and gives you the option to leave some of it slightly chunky if you like texture. Half of the batch is portioned into a freezer container, which makes this a smart recipe to double when tomatoes are at their peak.
Kitchen Tips
- Score an X on the bottom of each tomato and dunk in boiling water for 30 seconds before peeling. The skins slip off in seconds.
- Vent the blender lid with a towel when pureeing hot soup. Sealed steam will blow the lid off.
- Taste before adding the sugar. Ripe summer tomatoes often need none, while winter tomatoes need every bit of it.
- Snip the parsley over each bowl just before serving. Pre-cut parsley loses its punch fast.
Variations
- Stir in a swirl of pesto at the end for a richer herb finish.
- Add a roasted red pepper to the blender for a smoky-sweet twist.
- Top with cheesy croutons or a grating of parmesan for a heartier lunch.
Ingredients
Directions
In a large saucepan, cook onion in hot oil until tender.
Stir in water, tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, thyme, bouillon granules, sugar, salt, pepper and hot pepper sauce.
Bring to boil, reduce heat.
Cover and simmer 40 min.
Place about ⅓ of tomato mixture in a blender container or food processor bowl and process until smooth. (Or press through food mill).
Repeat with remaining mixture.
Reheat half of mixture and serve immediately.
To freeze, cool the remaining mixture and pour into a 3 cup freezer container seal, label and freeze.
To serve frozen portion, transfer to medium saucepan.
Cover and cook over medium heat for 20 to 25 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally.
Sprinkle with parsley before serving.
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