Tomatoes are a delicious and versatile ingredient, so they are an excellent ingredient for making soup. Many different tomato soup recipes combine different textures and flavours, and you can experiment to find options that work for you. To give you some inspiration for new recipes to try, here are some of our favourite tomato soup recipes, along with reasons to use tomatoes in soup, how to cook tomatoes for soup, and some additional tips for making tomato soups.
Table of Contents
Why Should You Use Tomatoes in Soup?
There are many reasons why you should use tomatoes as an ingredient for soups.
- Versatility: Tomatoes are a versatile ingredient to use for soups, as they come in many varieties and complement many other flavours.
- Flavour: Tomatoes are more flavoursome if you buy them in season or grow your own. Depending on the type of tomatoes you use and how you cook them, tomatoes can add fruitiness, acidity, or sweetness to a soup.
- Speed: Tomatoes cook quickly, so they are a fantastic ingredient to use if you have limited time available.
- Popularity: Tomatoes are a food that most people enjoy. It is particularly important to know what is popular if you are making soup to cater for others and serving from a catering soup kettle.
- Price: If you have a limited budget, then it is important to use low-cost ingredients, and tomatoes are a good option.
Our Favourite Tomato Soup Recipes
Tomato Soup Recipes: Gazpacho
Although most soups are hot, cold soups are a refreshing and light option when the weather is warm. One of the most popular cold soup recipes is gazpacho, which contains tomatoes, cucumber, and flavourings. Gazpacho is a traditional Spanish dish, and it is full of Mediterranean flavours. Try our gazpacho recipe. Image credit: Elke Wetzig, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Soup with a Kick: Bloody Mary Tomato Soup
Bloody Mary tomato soup is a twist on traditional tomato soups as it has a kick from the vodka and spices. It is a soup that you can serve either hot or cold, and you can make it as a starter, a main course, or even as an amuse-bouche. Try our Bloody Mary tomato soup recipe. Image credit: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
Traditional Soup Recipe: Cream of Tomato Soup
One of the most traditional tomato soup recipes is cream of tomato soup, although there are many different variations and recipes. Our ream of tomato soup is quick and easy to make, yet full of flavour. Try our recipe for cream of tomato soup here. Image credit: unitea https://pixabay.com/pt/service/license/
Tomato, Courgette, and Pepper Soup: Mediterranean Flavours
Our tomato, courgette, and pepper soup (tomato, zucchini, and pepper soup), is one of the most popular soups on Super Souper Ed. Although this is a summer soup, you can serve it at any time of the year if the ingredients are available. The ingredients of this soup are typical of Mediterranean dishes. Try our tomato, courgette, and pepper soup. Image Credit: https://pixabay.com/service/license/
Tomato Soup Recipes: Tomato and Orange Soup
Many people often forget that tomatoes are a fruit, as they are often served in a savoury way. However, the fact that they are a fruit means that tomatoes complement the flavours of many other fruits. They work particularly well with citrus fruits, and orange is a fantastic flavour addition to a tomato soup. You can try our tomato and orange soup here. Image credit: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/
Tomato Soup Recipes: Tomato and Basil Soup
Tomatoes work well with many herbs and spices. To create a soup with Mediterranean flavours, the ideal herb to choose is basil. Our tomato and basil soup recipe is simple to make, flavoursome, and a budget-friendly option. Image credit: Eve Chan on http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ via Flickr.com https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/
Zupa Pomidorowa: Polish Tomato Soup
A traditional Polish soup that features tomatoes is zupa pomidorowa. It is also similar to the popular Italian soup minestrone, as pasta is another important ingredient. Image credit: MOs810, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Rasam: An Indian Spiced Tomato Soup
Rasam is a popular Indian soup. It is a thin broth featuring tomatoes, tamarind, and various herbs and spices. There are many versions of the recipe, and you can read our rasam recipe here. Image credit: Kvr.lohith, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
How to Cook Tomatoes for Soup
- Sautee: An easy way to cook tomatoes for soup before adding stock is to simmer them in a pan first.
- Simmer: The most common way of cooking tomatoes for tomato soup recipes is to simmer them in stock.
- Roast: Roasting tomatoes gives them a different flavour, as it intensifies both the sweetness and the acidity.
- Soup maker: You can make most types of tomato soup in a soup maker, and in most cases, you will not need to use the sautee function.
Types of Tomatoes to Use
- Fresh tomatoes: There are many different varieties of tomatoes you can use for making soup, including various species of beef, plum, cherry, and heirloom tomatoes. Each has a different flavour and texture, so you may wish to experiment with different varieties.
- Tinned tomatoes: Using tinned tomatoes in soups is a budget-friendly option, and you can use tinned tomatoes at any time of the year, even when they are not in season. Using tinned tomatoes is also a good way to achieve a deep red colour, as fresh tomatoes sometimes have a pale pink or orange colour.
- Dried tomatoes: When tomatoes are dried, the flavour intensifies, and they take on a different texture. When rehydrated in a soup, they add a burst of intense flavour.
- Tomato puree: Adding tomato puree gives some tomato flavour to a soup that does not contain tomatoes. It also enhances the tomato flavour in tomato soup recipes.
- Passata: According to The Kitchn, passata is a form of uncooked tomato puree that is sieved to remove the skin and seeds. It is a quick and easy ingredient to use to add tomato flavour to soups.
Additional Tips
- Experiment with different tomato varieties to find flavours that you like.
- Tomatoes work well with lots of herbs and spices. Therefore, you can add flavour to soups with tomatoes by adding ingredients such as basil, chilli, oregano, garlic, and paprika.
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