September 14, 2011
Late summer tastes like roasted tomato soup.
This soup is, hands-down, one of my family's favorite meals. Laurent, who doesn't even eat raw tomatoes, requested it for his birthday supper one year!
In years past I've used the bounty of our garden tomatoes to make this soup. This year I have to buy tomatoes from the farm stand but as far as we can tell it tastes just as good. I've made this soup twice in the last two weeks, obviously a favorite as I don't usually repeat meals at that frequency.
But late summer is tomato season and so this is the time to be eating roasted tomato soup.
some of last year's harvest
I've blogged about this soup once before (late summer three years ago) but never shared "my secret recipe".
Here's the thing with my recipe. It's more of a suggested list of ingredients with an approximate cooking time, than it is an exact recipe. I'm never good at exact measuring or following recipes to the letter, which is why many of meals I cook are somewhat "experimental".
Lucky for you, in this case I've done most of the experimenting and you can tweak and refine according to your family's tastes.
Without further ado (get on with it already Renee)...
This recipe prepares a family sized pot of soup which we eat with either homemade gluten free sesame crackers or with rice. Rice is definitely for the nights I am short on time.
As you'll see in my photos, and in my directions, we also drizzle on a nut or seed cream to make it cream of roasted tomato soup. Are you drooling yet?
I don't seed, strain or otherwise remove the fresh tomato juices, I keep them with the flesh. I have never used canned tomatoes, though you probably could try that if fresh tomatoes are really expensive where you are or unavailable.
I like to add:
I don't add peppers but I think they would be good also.
This is what I use:
My mom has really big baking sheets and a large oven so I was able to spread out the tomatoes so they were one layer thick on the baking sheets (if you get what I mean).
In years past, with my smaller oven, I dumped the tomato mixture into two deep stoneware casserole dishes (glass would work also). In that case, the tomato mixture was at least 1-2 inches deep. That works just as well but you need to increase your baking temperature and time (350F for maybe 3-4 hours).
I have done this several ways and how long it takes to roast will depend on how deep your veggies are in the pan, as I mentioned above.
Assuming you can spread your veggies one layer deep you can roast at 350F for a couple hours, stirring once or twice. Or, if you get this started earlier in the day (my recommendation) roast at 250 for 3 to 4 hours, stirring every 45 minutes or so. The lower the roasting temperature (with a longer cooking time) the richer the tomatoes will taste.
The smell in your house, while you are roasting tomatoes, will be absolutely divine. You'll want to leap and dance (& eat) with the joy of late summer. And no, I'm not joking. I delight in the smell of roasting tomatoes.
If you can, go out with your kids for a short time to enjoy a gorgeous afternoon walk or some other nature activity. When you come back in the door your family will rave over the smell and ask excitedly, "What's for supper?" And then you will feel like a rockin' homemaker and cook. Or maybe that's just me....
Scrape those gorgeous roasted tomatoes out of the pans and into a soup pot. You will be licking your fingers.
I add 4 cups of water and 1-2 tbsp of my homemade broth powder (recipe found in this cream of potato broccoli soup post). You can add 4 cups of whatever broth you usually use.
Depending on my mood I might add a bit of miso, nutritional yeast, or Herbamare. Herbamare is my new favorite, since cooking in my mom's kitchen this summer.
Add salt or pepper to taste and heat it all up to mix all the flavors. If the soup tastes too tart at this point I will add a small amount of sweetener.
You could use a blender also but I have a hand blender for creaming my soups.
I like to leave some chunks but not too many or Laurent doesn't like it. He's so funny about those big tomato chunks.
I usually make a cashew cream by blending 1/2 cup of raw cashews with 1-2 cups of water (I've honestly never measured this part). If you don't have a powerful blender you will need to soak your cashews for 6-8 hours to do this.
Or... (and this I just discovered out of necessity when I was low on cashews) you could make hemp milk really easily. Here's how - in your blender add six parts water to one part hemp seeds. Whiz on high for a couple minutes till well blended. Straining is not necessary.
Making hemp milk does not require a special blender. The seeds are very soft. This is a great option for those allergic to cashews or without a powerful blender.
Pour a generous swirl of milk on top (Damien prefers soup without the cream) and mix. Top with brown rice, whole grain crackers or bread to make it a full meal.
Make sure to cook some soup this season while you're busy getting organized and living in the magic and melancholy of this season.
And now as I hit publish on this post I'm out the door to experience another sunkissed taste of late summer. The peanut butter cookies and crunchy orchard apples are packed and the kids and I are off for an afternoon at the beach. Making the most of these last swimming days of the season. You'll never get these days back... so enjoy them!
This soup looks amazing. The only thing holding me back is the long time required to roast the tomatoes. It's still pretty hot here and I could never run the oven for hours at a time. The catch-22 is that when it gets cool enough there won't be any fresh farm tomatoes left...
You mention letting the tomatoes roast while you take a hike. I am a little paranoid about leaving appliances on while not being home (except crock pot) and even running the dishwasher overnight makes me feel a little uncomfortable. Does that bother you?
Have you ever tried homemade dehydrated tomatoes in this recipe?
As far as hiking, I'm talking 45 min, max. You gotta' stir those tomatoes every 45 minutes or so. I've left the house with the oven on. Never tried dehydrated tomatoes.
That looks delicious! I could see this working with the "lasts" of my tomatoes since you cut them up etc. It is only going to start cooling down here in the next few weeks. Thanks for sharing! We will be trying this!
I am in love with all things roasted tomato - and today is a perfect rainy fall (did I say fall? Eeep!) day.
Hi Renee! YUM this looks great. I've fixed Soulemama's Roasted Tomato CARROT soup before and this reminds me of it - yum yum! I picked up a flat of heirloom tomatoes today at my local farmstand. There are 32 pretty large tomatoes in the flat. I don't have a kitchen scale (yet! It's on order from Amazon - ordered so I can make my first batch of your soap! So excited!) About how many tomatoes is 8-10 pounds? I'm guessing about half of my flat. Any ideas?
I'm super excited about all I have learned from you (and Heather!) Echinachea and Elderberry tinctures are brewing on my countertop, my soap supplies & vanilla beans are in the mail and my countertop is bursting with tomatoes and 50 ears of corn! (I love that corn chowder from Heather's course!)
Thank you for everything!!
I have 8 medium tomatoes on my counter... I just weighed them at 3 lbs, 3 oz. You'll have to guestimate from there. Making soap!? Yipee!! Me too (wink). We're using my fall soap right now, never did blog about it, and trying to find a place (in Canada or with good shipping to Can.) to buy more supplies to make a batch of cleaning soap and Christmas gift soap before we move (again!).
Thanks Renee! I'll use half my flat. YUM! Can't wait.
I thought of a soap question - just to keep things calm I'll pop over to your soap making video and leave the question there for others!
Thanks again! Have fun making your soap! Mine will be plain, but I am so excited to learn and grow and someday make pretty ones like you!!
Mmmmmm roasted tomato soup is my favorite. I just bought a bunch of tomatoes at the farmers market with the intention of making marinara sauce, but now I am considering making soup instead. Thanks for the inspiration!
Oh my goodness! Just thinking about this soup makes my mouth water! I'm going to try it this weekend!! Thank you!!
Renee, I've made this soup twice this weekend. One smaller version on Saturday to see how it would turn out and I ate it all by myself (had the last small bowl before going to bed last night (Saturday) than I made a full recipe this morning. This is one delicious soup. And of course, being the cheese addict that I am, I sprinkle crumbled feta on top in my bowl. Holy yum !!!! thank you for this recipe.
What an awesome soup. I was gifted with some lovely tomatoes that needed to be used and what do I come across the next morning, a link to this recipe. It is wonderful...so very filling, I've eaten mine without the rice and just with a slice of homemade pepper parmesan bread and have been stuffed. Both of my sons love it, alas my husband refuses to try it (more for me!). Thank you for sharing such a wonderful recipe.
This sounds delicious! Any experience/advice with freezing this soup? I'm having daily garden tomato overload and am thinking of doubling the recipe and freezing for winter...?
I've never frozen this soup so I can't say. But I freeze tomatoes all the time. Good luck.
We just finished it...five stars from my entire family! We pretty much licked the pot. Thank you for the recipe, I'm going to the farmer's market on Sunday and will pick up extra tomatoes just to do it again. :)
Oh, I'm so happy to hear that!
Just pinned it. We'll be making it soon!
This recipe looks delicious! I am about to harvest tomatoes and am learning to can. I am owndering if you have ever canned the soup base and if you have any tips.
Thanks,
Kari
I have to tell you this soup has become my favorite comfort lunch of late fall and early winter. I buy tomatoes by the half bushel and throw them in the freezer in quart containers after roasting. Then I pull them out and simmer with a litte broth and then purée. The perfect lunch on cold days when I'm in need of a nourishing pick me up. Last year I froze enough they lasted until just after Christmas and I missed them the rest of winter. This year I froze more so I should be good until January. I'd love even more but that seems a little crazy considering the other things that need to live in the freezer. It's big but not that big!
By the way, I love those Louise Penny books! I'm not a mystery person but those are such beautifully written. I've never been to Quebec but she makes me want to move there!
Beth, your comment reminded me I should make a batch of this again. But now we're into root crops and squash soup season. And I never did freeze the tomatoes since I was hiking this summer during hte bounty. If you ever come visit QC, inspired by Louise Penny, come visit us.
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heather on Sept. 14, 2011, 5:53 p.m.
this looks so divine, renee. my farm is done with tomatoes though - i wonder if anyone else at the farmers market might have some. i must make this soup soon!!