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Tomato Soup – The Best Classic Creamy Recipe
Seasonal fresh tomatoes and carrots are gracing all our farmer’s markets.
Bright light to announce that spring is almost here.
At least on my side of the country.
The tomatoes and carrots give this soup such a beautiful color. You will love this classic tomato soup recipe—creamy tomato soup yet very light.
Tomato Soup
Tomato Soup
You can enjoy it alone or pair it with a grilled cheese sandwich.
Simple and easy to make, it makes a sophisticated starter for any dinner.
We are bringing back the nostalgia of this combination. But then tomatoes are fruits, and they are wonderful companions to cheese.
Their sweet acidity plays off with the richness of the dairy.
tomato soup
Origins of tomato soup.
It originated in the region of Andalucia in southern Spain. Gazpacho is widely consumed in Spanish cuisine as well as in Portugal.
in 1897, Joseph Campbell came out with condensed tomato soup by reducing water in the tin, which made it easy and lowered costs for storage and shipping.
Where did grilled cheese and tomato soup originate?
The combination of tomato soup and grilled cheese has been around since WWII when feeding hungry seamen.
School lunch programs, after WWII, were added to the menu because of the added vitamin C that it provides.
They are full of flavor and a great source of vitamin C, potassium, folate, vitamin K, fiber, beta-carotene, and antioxidants. In a nutshell: a very healthy recipe for all of us.
Grilled cheeses are very personal.
Here I have prepared the authentic way with cheddar cheese. We also had it by substituting the cheddar with Swiss and Havarti.
Super delicious and my favorite way to enjoy it. Have fun with the grilled cheese, and use what you have at home.
A quick note: grilled cheese was first introduced in the early 1900s.
I use fresh white bread. Spread butter on both sides of the bread. I am very generous with the cheese. After all, you want a stringy, gooey melted cheese that tastes heavenly once you bite into.
Tomato Soup
Tomato Soup
Here are a few helpful tips for the ingredients needed to make this homemade tomato soup.
You can find the printable recipe with all the correct ingredient amounts at the bottom of this post. This is just a quick introduction. Please read the full recipe instructions.
Fresh tomatoes: The star of this dish. Please make sure they are ripe and with no blemishes. Use fresh tomatoes, as the flavor is unbelievable. I have made it with canned, and although good, the savory flavor of the fresh tomatoes is unbeatable.
Saffron: I added saffron to give it that extra boost of flavor. Not only it adds a savory, spicy undertone to your soup, but it also adds that beautiful red-orange color.
Carrots and onions: Add the extra richness in flavor to your soup and balance the acidity of the tomatoes once cooking.
Chicken stock: I always use sodium free. A rich homemade will enhance this tomato soup recipe.
Heavy Cream: Thicken this wonderful soul and plays beautifully with the tomatoes and saffron.
Egg yolk: Add extra texture and flavor to the soup.
French country bread: I love the crispiness of it when you use it for grilled cheese.
Unsalted butter: preferred as it will not add extra salt to your cooking.
Cheddar cheese: Use a good sharp cheddar.
Equipment you will need
I only recommend what I use and love. To achieve this recipe, I used the following:
Le Creuset enamel cast iron Dutch oven saucepan
tomato soup
tomato soup
Cooking tips and step by step to make this wonderful Tomato Soup
To help me keep the prep work short, I used my food processor. We all should have a small one for that kind of work; my favorite cannot live without it here.
After a couple of seconds of chopping, the onions and carrots are all the perfect size. Time-saving on a busy night.
- Remove all the seedlings from the tomatoes and peel them. I own this fantastic tomato peeler I resisted buying for years, and once in my hands, I wonder why I waited so long to get it.
- Use a heavy bottom Dutch oven pan and saute the carrots and onions. Stir so they will not burn.
- Add water to the carrot-onion mixture and simmer to soften the carrots.
- Add the tomatoes, garlic, thyme, saffron strands, salt and pepper, and chicken stock to the carrots and onion mixture and cook covered. All the ingredients will marry well.
- Have your blender handy to use as soon as your tomatoes are cooked.
- Puree all the tomatoes content. You may have to do it in batches.
- The cream and egg can be omitted if you want a lighter soup. However, add some stock or water to thin out the soup.
- Always temper your egg mixture with some hot soup separately before adding it to the saucepan. This will prevent separation.
tomato soup
tomato soup
Tips for a great Grilled Cheese
As French, butter is our middle name; therefore, we use it in and with any food.
I butter both sides of the bread. Of course, you can omit the side where you will place your cheese. But do try it my way. You will love the gooey ooey of the cheese.
I always start with high heat to get the bread with a nice crust.
As soon as I add the cheese to my bread, I lower the heat.
This will allow the cheese to melt beautifully and the bread not to burn.
Suggestions and substitutions
You can enjoy this excellent soup with some croutons or go the extra mile and prepare a fantastic grilled cheese sandwich that you can dip into or, better yet, cut into small cubes and enjoy alongside.
The soup is equally good without the egg yolks and cream if you want to be on the lighter side, thin the soup with more chicken stock or water.
Tomato Soup
Tomato Soup
If you enjoy this recipe, check out these flavorful recipes:
Asparagus Soup with Caramelized Leeks
Equipment and Products used to prepare this recipe.Did you make this?
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Originally published on April 1, 2021. Updated on January 16, 2023.
I am Giangi Townsend, a passionate cook and recipe developer with nearly 14 years of blogging experience. Inspired by my French and Italian heritage, restaurant explorations, working with chefs, and global travels, I enjoy sharing creative culinary delights. As a Chef on the Food Network’s Guy’s Grocery Game Global Food Fanatics, my recipes have earned recognition, and I contribute to top platforms like MSN Microsoft, NewsBreak, Substack and more.
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