Fall into Fall Tomato Soup

As fall days start to get colder there is nothing better than a richly flavorful bowl of tomato soup. Here are some tips to turn tomato soup into a star.

1. Use aromatics: Tomato soup needs some background flavors to help develop its’ own flavor. Using garlic, onion, and fresh herbs achieves this.

2. Use multiple forms of tomatoes: The best way to enhance the main flavor of a dish is a to use different forms of it. For our tomato soup we will use canned tomatoes and tomato paste.

3. Use a fine mesh sieve: We will puree our soup and put it through a fine mesh sieve. This will achieve a creamy texture without having to use cream.

Fall into Fall Tomato Soup
Yields: 12 C Soup
1 T olive oil
2 medium onions diced (yellow or white or one of each)
3 garlic cloves, minced
6 oz tomato paste
84 oz ( from 3-28 oz cans) whole peeled tomatoes
4 C water
6-8 sprigs of thyme (bundled and tied together with kitchen twine)
1 bay leaf

1. In a medium sized dutch oven (3.5 QT or larger), heat olive oil over medium heat until hot. This will take 3-5 minutes.
2. Add onions and cook for 6-8 minutes until soft and translucent.
3. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
4. Add tomato paste and cook over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes until hot and slightly thickened. If the bottom of the pan is getting too hot, add an extra tablespoon of olive oil as you cook the tomato paste.
5. After cooking the tomato paste, add peeled tomatoes (with any liquid from the can).
6. Add 4 C water.
7. Cover dutch oven with a lid and bring tomato soup to a boil and then down to a simmer. Add thyme and bay leaf and simmer soup for 60 minutes. After simmering, remove and discard thyme and bay leaf.
8. In batches, puree soup in blender. After blending, press soup through a fine mesh sieve into a very large liquid measuring cup or pitcher.
9. Once all soup has been pureed and pressed through a sieve, return soup to the dutch oven. Heat soup over medium heat, making sure to continuously stir, until the soup is hot and warmed through.
10. Serve soup alongside a grilled cheese or topped with Parmesan , croutons, black pepper, or chopped herbs.

Recipe adapted from: BonAppetit

Very important notes about pureeing in a blender (read carefully):

When pureeing the soup in a blender, make sure you fill blender ONLY halfway with soup. Make sure the center cap of the blender lid is removed AND covered with a dish towel. This will allow steam to escape as you blend. If you don’t allow steam to escape, your blender lid will explode and the soup will explode all over the kitchen. The last thing you want is to have piping hot soup burning you. Please be cautious when blending the soup.

Note:
Feel free to halve this recipe to make a total of 6 C soup. This will be enough for 2-4 people depending on serving size.