Simple and Creamy Tomato Soup Recipe

Hello dearhearts.  You know what it is – another day of finding small comforts that ease our minds and hearts.  It’s ok. We’re up to the task.  Today’s comfort: a creamy tomato soup recipe.

This week my comforts have been slowly consuming last week’s Strawberry Pie at the start – yes, start – of almost every meal. Dessert first: a classic, rule-breaking comfort. And gosh… there are so many rules these days, maybe this is my attempt to assert myself. Harmless, really.

Today’s offering is another classic comfort.  I know you can just smell this creamy tomato soup at the mere mention of it.  It’s everything you want it to be – bright and sweet with tomatoes and carrots, creamy and smooth, perfectly paired with last week’s French Onion Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.

Take good care this weekend! I feel like this soup is a direct path in that direction.

If tomato soup isn’t you thing, maybe one of these will suit your fancy:

•  Carrot Coconut Red Curry Soup (My friend Megan just told me she adds miso)

•  Smoky Black Bean Soup (I made this soup when I first moved into my house and it’s funny to see the images.)

Here’s the ingredients you’ll need for this Creamy Tomato Soup Recipe:

•  Carrots and onions, diced to saute.  You can add celery if you happen to have it and it happens to be wilting in your refrigerator. I actually skip the garlic for this recipe to keep the soup mild.

•  Butter and olive oil.  I love the rich flavor that butter adds to the soup and the olive oil helps the butter not burn as the vegetables saute.

•  Red wine vinegar to brighten the soup.

•  Tomato paste to make the soup extra tomato wealthy.

•  All-purpose flour to thicken the soup though if you don’t have it or don’t want to add it to the soup, just simmer the soup down to your desired thickness. I think the flour thickens the soup to a velvet texture, that’s why I use it.

•  Two cans of whole, peeled tomatoes and their juice.

•  Whole milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream to help the soup resemble the most comforting velvet.

Star by melting the butter and oil and sautéing the onions and carrots with a bit of salt and pepper

Soften the onions to translucent and the carrots just a bit. Stir in the vinegar. It will steam and fuss and cook off a bit.

Stir in the flour until it disappears into the vegetables.

Stir in the tomato paste until it thickly coats everything in the pan.

Stir in chicken broth or vegetable broth.  If you added flour, you’ll notice the broth thicken slightly as it heats.

Add a bay leaf and any other spices you like, too!

Now is when we’ll add all of the glorious canned tomatoes.  I add them with clean hands, squeezing them through my hands to break them up into pieces as they go into the pot.

Bring the soup to a simmer to soften the vegetables and meld the flavors.

If you’d like to add anything else like fresh thyme or basil, you’re welcome to!

Use an immersion blender to blend the mixture to a smooth soup.  If you don’t have an immersion blender, this can be done in batches in a regular blender.  Just be sure not to fill the blender too much and to place a towel over the lid before starting the big whirly machine.

Add cream and additional seasoning to taste for this creamy tomato soup recipe.

It’s lovely.

Serve with the best grilled cheese sandwich because that’s really the only way.

Photos with my friend Jon Melendez.

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