~ Smokey 'n Sweet Cream of Roasted Tomato Soup~
April showers bring May flowers. That is the good news. April showers also bring a lot of chilly, damp days here to Happy Valley. On a day such as this one today, I want to relax and take the day off, and, I want soup. I don't want a thick, chunky stew-like concoction either. Save that type of soup for the Fall. I want something smooth, creamy and fresh tasting. For me, there is only one soup that fits that bill: cream of tomato soup. I want to ladle it into a mug, sit on the sofa in front of my fireplace with my three puppies, watch a movie, and, sip, savor and slurp!
One thing I will never walk away from is tomato soup. I love it, love it, love it. I grew up loving the rainy days when my mom or dad would make us a can of Campbell's for lunch and serve it to my brother and I with a few Nabisco saltines crushed over the top, or, a grilled cheese sandwich to the side. When my boys were growing up, they liked it with Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Crackers swimming on top!
Nowadays, if I'm out for lunch and a chef has an interesting version of this classic soup on his or her menu, it is the first thing I will order!
Tomato soup deserves its own identity!
From a personal standpoint, many homemade tomato soup recipes taste too much like pasta sauce, meaning: they are often flavored with basil or oregano. That's not for me. Two years ago, I was asked to develop a roasted tomato soup recipe for a local restaurant, and, I was bound and determined to not let that happen. If I do say so myself, my use of thyme as the herb and brown sugar for a bit of caramelized sweetness brought the recipe up to a level of simple, elegant, French-style decadence. Even though that restaurant was short-lived and is no longer in business (not everyone knows how to run a restaurant, they just think they do), my soup was a great success. I have since taken my original recipe and rewritten it to suit me. It's now a cream of roasted tomato soup, and: a Spring soup never tasted so good!
12, medium-sized, vine-ripened tomatoes, about 4 pounds, top core removed, tomatoes sliced in half pole-to-pole
2 very large yellow or sweet onions, about 1 1/2 pounds, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 heads garlic, peeled, about 2 ounces peeled garlic cloves
8-10 sprigs fresh thyme
8 tablespoons olive oil (1/2 cup), total throughout recipe
4 tablespoons dark brown sugar
freshly ground sea salt and peppercorn blend
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 cups heavy or whipping cream
1 cup vegetable stock, preferably homemade (Note: You can find my recipe for vegetable stock in Categories 15 or 22.)
additional sea salt and peppercorn blend, for adjusting seasoning
~ Step 1. Cover a baking pan with aluminum foil and line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper.
~ Step 2. Add the onions and garlic to pan. Drizzle with 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Using your hands, toss to coat. Place the thyme sprigs on the top, followed by a light grinding of sea salt and peppercorn blend.
~ Step 3. Spread the onion mixture evenly over the bottom of pan. Arrange tomatos over the the onion mixture, spacing them slightly apart. Drizzle tomatoes with the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle the tops of the tomatoes with brown sugar, followed by a light grinding of sea salt and peppercorn blend.
~ Step 4. Roast on center rack of preheated 375 degree oven, about 1 1/2 hours, or until onions are caramelized and tomatoes have a bit of a char to their tops.
Note: Timing can and will vary depending upon the consistency and ripeness of the tomatoes, 1-2 hours. What the finished mixture looks like is more important than the time it actually takes.
~ Step 5. Discard thyme sprigs. Transfer mixture to the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. If you do not have a large processor, do this in 2-3 batches.
~ Step 6. Using a series of about 30 rapid on-off pulses, process until a "semi-chunky" puree is formed or a puree to your liking.
~ Step 7. Transfer to a 3 1/2-4 quart chef's pan or stockpot. Add the smoked paprika, cream and vegetable stock. Over moderate heat, bring to a gentle simmer. Taste. Adjust seasoning, adding additional salt and pepper, if necessary. Simmer gently for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover pan/pot and set aside, to steep for about 15 minutes, to allow the flavors to marry.
Smokey 'n Sweet Cream of Roasted Tomato Soup: Recipe yields 2 quarts of soup/6 servings.
Special Equipment List: cutting board; chef's knife; 17 1/2" x 12 1/2" baking pan; aluminum foil; parchment paper; food processor; 3 1/2- 4-quart chef's pan or stockpot w/lid
Cook's Note: For my other "take" on this beloved classic soup, you can find my recipe for ~ Bacon, Onion & Rosemary-Tomato-Cream Soup ~ in Categories 2, 9, 18, 19, 20 or 22!
This version is made using crushed tomatoes as an ingredient. Because Joe and I crush and freeze our own garden tomatoes each year, I can make fantastic tomato soup any time of the year!
"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti
(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2013)
That's a great idea to freeze it. I will put some in small jars for a quick thaw. I made the vegetable stock too and will freeze some of that as well! Thanks for the great ideas!
Posted by: Teresa Gottier | 12/18/2013 at 04:09 PM
Teresa! I am gleeful. Sometimes I freeze it too: I make a double or triple batch, and, DON'T add the cream. I portion it into 2-quart size containers, then, add the cream on the reheat! ~ Mel.
Posted by: Kitchen Encounters | 12/18/2013 at 09:10 AM
Wow Melanie! This is the BEST tomato soup ever in the whole wide world! :) The flavor from the roasting is exceptional, and I love the texture with the chunky bits. My husband, who has refused to eat tomato soup throughout his life, ate this and: "He likes it! Hey, Mikey!" ;)
Posted by: Teresa Gottier | 12/18/2013 at 02:16 AM
This sounds so warming and comforting. I love the idea of roasting the vegetables! Definitely will try this!
Posted by: Teresa Gottier | 12/08/2013 at 06:25 PM
Sounds so comforting and warming. I'm gonna try this. I like the idea of roasting the vegetables.
Posted by: Teresa Gottier | 12/08/2013 at 03:47 PM
Sounds so comforting Mel!
Posted by: Teresa Gottier | 12/06/2013 at 10:12 PM