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    Home » Soups

    Heirloom Tomato Soup. A Quick & Easy Summer Dinner.

    August 20, 2019 by Karen 35 Comments

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    THE best tomato soup I've ever had, just in time for tomato season. This Soup Sisters tomato soup recipe uses all of the in-season ingredients like basil, sage and tomatoes to create an easy tomato soup like no other I've tasted.

    A white soup bowl containing heirloom tomato soup sits on a rustic wooden cutting board on a beige linen tea towel. Also on the cutting board are wooden spoons, two small wooden bowls containing Parmesan cheese and croutons, a tomato vine and a silver spoon. Part of a bowl and a pot of tomato soup can be seen in the background.

     

    Skip right to the recipe.
     

    I normally don't just copy and paste recipes and post them.  Anything I post is usually a recipe I've developed over years of trying different things or something I've tweaked a little.  Taking a bit of this, a bit of that and working it until it's right.  My chili recipe is a good example of that, or my chicken pot pie.

    But this tomato soup recipe?

    No changes needed.  It was good right outta the box. Or out of the pot more precisely.  An example of something that's good right outta the box would be Kraft Dinner.  Or a pair of diamond earrings.

     

    A shallow wooden bowl containing various heirloom tomatoes and a roasted red pepper can be seen in the foreground. The background shows tomatoes on a white plate, a white vase with flowers and white kitchen cupboards.

    We have hit tomato season folks. And that means having access to 4.5 million tomatoes.  Even more if you grew more than 1 plant.

    That means in addition to doing things like roasting (recipe here), canning (method here) and making salads (recipe here)  out of them, you're going to have to broaden your tomato horizons if you expect to get through the first couple of million.

    This soup is a quick and easy way to use up all the tomatoes that are on your kitchen counter blinking at you with expectation.

    A woman's hand holds a charred roasted red pepper on a white paper towel sitting on a marble kitchen counter. Part of a wooden bowl containing tomatoes can be seen in the background.

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    Part of what makes this recipe good is the addition of a roasted red pepper. (this is the one change I made to the original recipe) All the best tomato soups have roasted peppers in them.  In fact I published another tomato soup post years ago that's just as delicious but very different and a bit more time consuming to make.  It includes smoked sweet and hot peppers. You can see that recipe here if you want more of a weekend tomato soup.  

    Chopped tomatoes and onion on a dark roasting pan sitting on a butcher block countertop. Tomato, knife, herbs and silver bottle in background.

    The gist of the recipe is to roast up some heirloom tomatoes, onions and garlic ...

    A woman's hand reaches for a tin container of dried red chili flakes sitting on a beige linen tea towel. Fresh sage and oregano seen in foreground. Background shows an ironstone jar containing fresh basil on a butcher block countertop.

    ... add your herbs and spices, blend the tomatoes and simmer them on the stove for a bit.

    Roasted heirloom tomatoes and onions on a dark baking tray sitting on a beige linen tea towel. Also on towel are tomato vines, a wooden spoon with a roasted tomato and two small wooden bowls containing Parmesan cheese.

    Roasting the tomatoes changes the flavours of the tomatoes and brings out their sweetness while adding a roasty, toasty flavour.

    A white soup bowl containing heirloom tomato soup sprinkled with Parmesan cheese sits on a rustic wooden cutting board. Also on board are wooden spoons and tomato vines. A copper pot and another bowl of heirloom tomato soup are seen in background.

    Heirloom Tomato Soup

    Heirloom Tomato Soup

    This Heirloom Tomato soup from the soup sisters is the only tomato soup recipe you need this summer.
    4.75 from 12 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Soup
    Cook Time: 1 hour hour
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 161kcal

    Ingredients

    • 2 lbs tomatoes halfed, use heirlooms if you can get them
    • 1 onion quartered
    • 3 cloves garlic unpeeled
    • 2 tablespoon olive oil
    • 10 leaves basil
    • 3 leaves sage
    • 1 sprig oregano leaves only
    • 1 pinch hot pepper flakes
    • 2 cups broth vegetable or chicken
    • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
    • salt to taste
    • pepper to taste
    • ⅓ cup parmesan cheese grated
    • 1 roasted red pepper (optional)

    Instructions

    • Set oven to 375 f
    • Toss tomatoes, onions and unpeeled garlic in olive oil and roast on a parchment lined baking sheet for about 45 minutes. Just until everything starts to darken and the sugars caramelize.
    • Let the roasted vegetables cool for a minute, slip the garlic out of it's skin then blend everything in a regular blender or with an immersion blender along with the herbs. Don't forget to add the herbs and the roasted red pepper if you included it.
    • Transfer to a soup pot and add as much broth as you need to make the soup the consistency you like.
    • Simmer for 10 minutes then finish the soup by adding salt and pepper to taste and the balsamic vinegar.
    • Top each bowl of this tomatoey soup with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese AND if you really like heat, some deep fried jalapeno crisps.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 161kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 618mg | Potassium: 587mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2271IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 140mg | Iron: 1mg

    If you think this recipe looks good, get The Soup Sisters cookbook.  I did!

    A white bowl containing heirloom tomato soup sits on a wooden cutting board on a beige linen tea towel. In the background are another white bowl and a copper pot both containing heirloom tomato soup.

    I haven't tried this soup cold, but I imagine it's pretty good that way. If it was a cream based soup I might feel differently about that option, but give it a go and let me know how you like it.

    Only a little over 4 million more tomatoes to go. 

    Heirloom Tomato Soup. A Quick & Easy Summer Dinner.

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      Curried Cauliflower Soup - with Coconut Milk.
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      Rustic Leek & Potato Soup for Winter

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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    1. Emily Lindley

      October 02, 2022 at 7:47 pm

      This is my go to. I haven’t tried another. No need to. I make it straight from the garden and miss it when it runs out. I don’t use the oil and don’t miss it. I also use whatever tomatoes I have handy and it’s always delish. Thanks Karen!

      Reply
    2. Heather

      September 18, 2019 at 2:04 pm

      Made a test batch and loved it! Just finished roasting 15 lbs of tomatoes and will be freezing our winter tomato soup. Made no knead bread to go with this...pure heaven.

      Reply
      • Karen

        September 18, 2019 at 2:45 pm

        That's great! Thanks for letting me know and leaving a review. :) ~ karen!

        Reply
    3. Kay Smith

      August 30, 2019 at 6:55 pm

      First off let me please just say a very grateful thank you for this extraordinarily yummo soup. My wee family enjoyed it immensely.

      Secondly since this recipe made enough for five or six people and there were but three of us, we had a little leftover. Soooooooo... a few nights later I boiled up some tortellini, I made a small batch of cream sauce and then I added the rest of the leftover tomato soup to make a new blended sauce which I poured over the pasta. And good lord that was delicious!!!! I’m case you ever wonder what to do with your leftover soup, I highly recommend the slight alteration!

      Thirdly, just wanted to say I’m very sad that I won’t be able to make more of your yummy soup this summer bc I got a puppy and he has grown a fondness for eating all of my tomatoes. Ugh. I put up a fence around them and yet, he has managed to wiggle his way inside. I almost took a picture for you but I was equally furious with him and enamored by him bc who doesn’t love fresh home grown tomatoes?!

      Lastly I just wanted to say thank you for your lovely blog. I read it diligently, dreaming of one day having a garden as lovely as yours and some day going hunting for antique bargains with you and pink tool bag. You are lovely and delightful and I appreciate you.

      Reply
    4. MartiJ

      August 25, 2019 at 9:51 am

      So glad you posted this after seeing your comments on Instagram. And HOORAY! It is dairy-free. (My life is over. I can't have dairy anymore.) This looks great and bonus: I have everything except a sprig of oregano to pop in. I'll use the powdered stuff I bought last week, if you don't mind. (And maybe if you do.)

      But maybe fresh thyme or more fresh basil? And olive oil instead of the cheese on top. Seriously... dairy free. UGH. Thank heavens for that favorite chocolate pudding which is dairy free. And chocolate sorbet. And blueberry tart, with the crust that is in the oven right now.

      Reply
      • Karen

        August 26, 2019 at 11:14 am

        Oh yeah, chocolate sorbet for the win. I've been making chocolate/raspberry sorbet this summer to use up my raspberries and it's GREAT. ~ karen!

        Reply
    5. Adriane Glazier Turow

      August 23, 2019 at 4:26 pm

      I'm wishing it was richer, not quite so healthy. Has anyone tried adding cream to this recipe?

      Reply
      • Adriane Glazier Turow

        August 23, 2019 at 4:33 pm

        Okay, I just answered my own question. I added some heavy cream, green tabasco, and extra salt, and it's exactly what I was hoping for.
        So don't be afraid.
        Fear not the cream.
        Perfection!

        Reply
    6. Grammy

      August 22, 2019 at 3:00 am

      For all those asking about freezing, I’ve made a similar soup for years, and it freezes really well. The only difference is some of the seasoning and the fact that everything is roasted first, so it shouldn’t be a problem.

      That said, this soup sounds superior to anything I’ve tried, and tomorrow I’m roasting and blending and making this soup, and I know it won’t make it to the freezer! The difference between this recipe and my old standby is significant enough to declare it a new winner at my house already. Thanks, Karen.

      Reply
    7. Jane

      August 21, 2019 at 10:15 pm

      WAAAAH! Alberta’s “summer” is still yet to arrive. I have YET to harvest One. Single. Tomato. And my bean plants froze a couple nights ago, which does not bode well for the next few weeks. I will have to save this soup recipe for next year!

      Reply
    8. Emiyl

      August 21, 2019 at 8:36 pm

      Made it tonight for dinner tomorrow. It was DELICIOUS! And I hadn't even added the cheese yet. I'm not sure it would survive in my house and make it to the freezer.

      Reply
    9. Jan in Waterdown

      August 21, 2019 at 12:48 pm

      Ok so about a week or 3 or whatever ago, I headed down into your valley from the heights of the Niagara Escarpment to hit a grocery store we don’t have and found myself returning via the route that goes right by your garden. So I opened my car windows in anticipation of scoring some flying zucchini but there was none to be had.... and no cops hanging around either. I was pissed.

      Reply
      • Jan in Waterdown

        August 21, 2019 at 3:24 pm

        😬🍆 btw that’s a flying purple zucchini (not an eggplant lol)

        Reply
    10. Madeleine

      August 21, 2019 at 12:42 pm

      Do we or don't we have to remove the outer skin of garlic cloves? I keep seeing different takes on this and am confused. It would be so nice not to have to peel garlic skin of little cloves that then clings to your finger tips. Course, this is a first world problem, I realize.

      Reply
      • Karen

        August 21, 2019 at 2:09 pm

        You don't peel it to roast it. The peel helps keep it from drying out. Once you get to the step of blending the ingredients, then you remove the peel. ~ karen!

        Reply
    11. Jan

      August 21, 2019 at 10:37 am

      This sounds delicious -- so delicious in fact, that I may be forced to have a serving size larger than the 1 g. in the nutrition list. ;-)

      Reply
      • Karen

        August 21, 2019 at 11:44 am

        LOL. I'll have to look into that. ~ karen!

        Reply
    12. Karena Cawthon

      August 21, 2019 at 10:14 am

      The garlic and onion are unpeeled for roasting; do you blend them without removing the skins?

      Reply
      • Karen

        August 21, 2019 at 10:24 am

        No, you slip those out of the skins. ~ karen!

        Reply
    13. Lise Cameron

      August 21, 2019 at 8:44 am

      Welcome back...This looks delicious and I would think that cold would be great...I also thought that there was a red pepper added to the tomatoes in the oven ??? Thanks for sharing ...

      Reply
    14. Heather Thompson

      August 21, 2019 at 7:54 am

      Guessing that the roasted red pepper should be added to the mix as well?...
      I'm going to make this tonight. Perfect timing - tomatoes are ripe, and it's a rainy day so heat has broken.

      Reply
    15. Tess DeLaRosa

      August 21, 2019 at 7:37 am

      Yeah! You use the same crappy paper towels that I do! 🤓 Thanks for the recipe.

      Reply
    16. TucsonPatty

      August 21, 2019 at 1:40 am

      Oh. My. Goodness. This sounds amazing! I wish I had access to my friend’s tomatoes from Pome on the Range Orchard in Ottawa, Kansas, right now. When I was there two weeks ago, they did not have ripe tomatoes, but right about now, I’ll bet they have about a half billion.
      This recipe sounds like it would be an amazing pizza sauce, if you simmered it waaaay down to thick.
      I may have to try both ways.
      Thanks, Karen, for the beautiful photos of the gorgeous tomatoes. I want some of those cherry/grape/teeny tomatoes in my mouth right now. I can feel the wonderful burst of juice and flavor in my fantasy! : )

      Reply
    17. Tina

      August 21, 2019 at 1:24 am

      The soup sounds delightful and welcome back from vacation!

      Reply
    18. Laura Sainz

      August 21, 2019 at 12:57 am

      Do you know if this freezes well? It sounds like something I would love on a cold winter's day!

      Reply
      • Karen

        August 21, 2019 at 9:44 am

        Hi Laura. I haven't frozen this soup in particular but I've frozen every other soup I've made. They all freeze well, but sometimes their consistency changes. If that's the case usually just whisking the soup during heating will fix that. ~ karen!

        Reply
    19. Dd51

      August 21, 2019 at 12:27 am

      So, you don’t add a roasted red pepper to this soup?

      Reply
      • Louann Chalcraft

        August 21, 2019 at 2:55 am

        My question too..

        Reply
      • Mirjam roos

        August 21, 2019 at 2:56 am

        that's what I thought too :)

        Reply
      • Emily

        August 21, 2019 at 8:11 am

        Can this be frozen? I'd love to make some now and then again for the winter when I have no fresh tomatoes!

        Reply
        • Karen

          August 21, 2019 at 9:45 am

          I've never tried to freeze this soup in particular but I don't see any reason why it couldn't be frozen. I freeze all my other soups and tomato sauce too and they all freeze well. :) ~ karen

      • Karen

        August 21, 2019 at 9:43 am

        Hi! ACK! I forgot to write the one line explaining that the only change I sometimes make to the recipe is to add a roasted red pepper, lol. O.K. I've updated the recipe and post. The pepper is optional. The original recipe doesn't include it but I like to add a roasted red pepper to any tomato soup I make. ~ karen!

        Reply
    20. Jeanne

      August 21, 2019 at 12:11 am

      Oh my goodness. My mouth is watering and it's beyond bedtime. My brother has at least that many tomatoes. I shall have to be nice to him. Yum!

      Reply
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