Roasted Tomato Soup

With all the recent snow, it’s time for a clean comfort food recipe that’s satisfying and relies on pantry staples you can stock up on before the next storm. Since whole peeled tomatoes are packed at the point of peak flavor, they are reliable throughout the year and preferable during the months when garden grown ones are still months away. Roasting them increases their sweetness. Just make sure to reserve their juice as this will be added to the soup as well. For a vegan version, substitute vegetable stock and use olive oil instead of the tiny amount of butter.

Pure tomato goodness is the best way to describe the flavor of this soup, which relies only on a few other ingredients including mildly sweet shallot. While I love garlic, here I don’t prefer it and instead find comfort in the bright and mildly sweet notes. Once cooked, puree the soup using the method below to get the creamiest texture you can get without the addition of cream. While this recipe makes about 4 to 6 servings, it’s so light and delicious you’ll probably enjoy more than one bowl per meal.

Ingredients

2, 28-ounce can whole tomatoes (unsalted or low salt) – reserve juices when strain
1 ½ tablespoons light brown sugar
1 shallot, chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 ½ cups reserved tomato juice
2 cups chicken stock (unsalted or low salt)
Kosher or sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

How to Select Canned Tomatoes

As with all canned products, you may wish to experiment with brands to determine your favorite. I recommend opting for whole peeled tomatoes packed in their own juices, as we will be reserving that as another ingredient in the finished soup. Organic, steam-peeled varieties are what I opt for at the market.

How to Roast the Tomatoes

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with two layers of parchment paper as the canned tomatoes will release a liquid as they roast.

Strain the tomatoes in a sieve set over a large bowl to collect the tomato juice. Use your hands to open the tomatoes, gently remove the seeds, and allow any juice to fall into the bowl. Place the tomatoes in a single layer on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle on the light brown sugar and roast for 20 minutes. Toward the end of roasting, you will notice the tomatoes begin to smell sweeter though they may not change much in color.

How to Make the Roasted Tomato Soup

Heat the butter in a soup pot, add the shallot, and cook until translucent. 

Add the roasted tomatoes, chicken stock, and reserved tomato juice. Bring to a boil then simmer for 10 minutes uncovered. 

Use an immersion blender or a stand blender to process the soup until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

A note about blending: If using a stand blender, process in stages and follow all blender instructions for processing hot liquid with your model.  Generally, you never want to fill the blender to more than a third or half of its capacity.  Use the blender vent to help steam escape while protecting yourself from both the hot liquid and steam.  If your model does not have a vent, the measuring cap can be removed and covered with a towel.