Don’t you just love it when Fall really comes in? I know I do. I live in the sweat zone of Mississippi, and I’m always glad to see the back of summer. However, there are trade-offs with everything in life, and just when I get to craving tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, that’s when you can’t get good tomatoes anymore. Well, here’s my solution- my Fall Tomato Soup recipe uses some “hothouse” tomatoes and some canned tomatoes to still give a great tomato taste for a crisp Fall lunch.
Fall Tomato Soup
I make lots of tomato dishes when tomatoes are in season, but not really soup. Soup, to me, is a Fall and Winter dish. And there is nothing I love more than some delicious tomato soup and grilled cheese for a laid-back, Fall lunch. It just fits. I can’t bring myself to use just canned tomatoes, so I compromised on this Fall Tomato Soup recipe in order to get at least some fresh tomato flavor. The hothouse tomatoes I can get in the fall and winter just don’t have the richness of peak, ripe, homegrown tomatoes, so i augment them with canned chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, and some Worcestershire for umami.
Use Fresh Herbs!
One thing I must say that will set this apart, is using fresh herbs. Fresh Italian parsley and basil will really make a difference. Luckily, they are available year-round. Another item that adds richness is the dash of cream. Heavy cream is always in my fridge- it has a long shelf life, and it adds depth and richness to an incredible array of dishes. Keep some on hand!
As always, I hope you enjoy
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Fall Tomato Soup
Description
This easy Fall Tomato Soup recipe will make a brisk Fall morning special. Use a mixture of fresh and canned tomatoes to get great flavor. Serve with grilled cheese sandwiches for a wonderful lunch.
Ingredients
6–8 fresh tomatoes
1 head garlic
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 medium yellow onion, cut into quarters.
1 TBS olive oil
2 TBS tomato paste
2 TBS Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
4 cups chicken stock
6–7 leaves fresh basil, chopped, divided
2 TBS diced fresh Italian Parsley
1 TBS salt, or to taste
2 tsp black pepper, or to taste
2 tsp sugar, or to taste
½ cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice tomatoes in half and place on an oiled pan, cut side down. Score the skin on the top of tomatoes. Place quartered onions on pan. Cut top 1/3 of garlic head off, then wrap the bottom in foil (leaving top open) and drizzle with olive oil. Place head of garlic on pan and place in oven. Roast for 30-40 minutes, or until tomatoes are slightly charred and garlic is soft.
In a soup pot, add 1 TBS olive oil, then roasted onions, tomatoes, and squeeze out bulbs of garlic. Add Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste, and cook until juice is almost boiling. Pour in canned tomatoes, and blend using an immersion blender. Add in bay leaves, thyme, oregano, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until thickened. Adjust for salt and pepper and sugar. Add 1-2 tsp flour if necessary to thicken. Stir in fresh Italian parsley and cream, then remove from heat. Garnish each bowl with fresh basil, or swirl in heavy cream for garnishing. Serve with grilled cheese sandwiches.
