Tomato Soup

Ripe and Flavourful Tomatoes

Classic Tomato Soup

Tomato soup is probably one of the most loved soups of all, and is likely to be the best selling tinned soup too! Particularly that well known brand. I must admit that on days when I am feeling cold, or a little under the weather, there is little that is more warming or comforting than a bowl of tomato soup – with some crusty bread to dip into it! As a student I would regularly have a tin for lunch to sustain me through the afternoon of lectures and a cold walk home.

It is wonderful to discover that home made tomato soup tastes fresher and better than shop bought soup, with only a few simple ingredients

Homemade Tomato Soup

In spite of making many types of soup, it is only recently that I have had the courage to try to make my own tomato soup, fearing the tasteless supermarket tomatoes could never make a soup that tastes so good as tinned. How wrong I was! Clearly the important aspect of the soup is the flavour of the tomatoes, so do ensure you buy ones that smell and taste great! In the late summer and early autumn when freshly ripe tomatoes are plentiful, it is a shame not to make your own home made tomato soup. Buy your tomatoes from a local source where you can find out if they have been ripened on the vine. Use your own sense of smell and taste to judge which are the best to buy!

Easy Yummy Tomato Soup Recipe

Home made tomato soup tastes much fresher than tinned, and you can season it how you like. I made this soup with 1 kilo (2 lbs) tomatoes, a couple of carrots and an onion and it was absolutely delicious! It was flavoured with a few basil leaves and a sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper.

It is very easy to make, like many soups. It just requires some vegetable chopping, and then can be left to simmer away until everything is soft and well cooked. The soup can be consumed immediately, but it is even better a day or two later when it is reheated. Or make a big batch and freeze it. The soup for four costs less than canned tomato soup and tastes so much fresher.

Better Than Bought Tomato Soup

I think it is easy to think that as amateur cooks in our kitchen, that we can’t cook something so well as the professional manufacturers.

And of course we do get used to a certain taste and possibly think, even sub consciously, that it is how it is supposed to taste. Meanwhile manufacturers are trying to get the best taste for the lowest cost and highest profit – they haven’t always got our best interests completely at heart – only that they want to make a product that sells!

Of course opening a tin or jar seems so much easier, but you don’t get the same satisfaction that you do when tasting the delicious foods you have made knowing exactly what is in it. I would recommend trying to make things at home that you would normally buy in a jar or packet.

Luscious Tomato Soup

When chopping the tomatoes, remove the hard, white core in the middle at the top of the tomato, as it doesn’t really soften with cooking. Do however leave the skin on and all those lovely seeds – scrape them all into the pan from your chopping board.

Have some lovely bread – somehow white bread seems to go best with tomato soup. Home made bread is best!

Best with some crusty white bread (Home made if possible)