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–+ servings
Homemade tomato soup from tomato puree and fresh tomatoes.

Tomato Soup Recipe

Judith Coates
A smooth, savory tomato soup with a homemade tomato base, fragrant herbs, and a little semolina for gentle thickening. Serve with crusty bread for a comforting French lunch.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine French
Servings 6

Equipment

  • heavy-bottomed pot

Ingredients

  • 2 cups prepared fresh tomato purée about 473 ml, OR 1½ cups tomato sauce (about 355 ml), with or without herbs. Use one option.
  • 4½ cups beef bouillon or beef stock about 1.06 liters; vegetable stock is the original vegetarian alternative.
  • 2½ tablespoons semolina. Preserve the volume measure; do not substitute a guessed gram weight.
  • Salt and black pepper to taste.

Homemade Purée Base

  • 1 onion finely chopped.
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil 15 ml.
  • 1 garlic clove crushed or finely chopped.
  • 1 lb plum tomatoes 454 g, roughly chopped.
  • ¼ teaspoon dried marjoram or basil.
  • A little salt sugar, and black pepper, to taste.
  • Optional: a ½-inch strip of orange peel about 1.3 cm, avoiding the white pith.

Instructions
 

Make The Base If Needed:

  • Gently cook the onion in the olive oil for about 5 minutes.
  • Add the tomatoes, garlic, herbs, optional orange peel, and a little seasoning. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 20 minutes, until the tomatoes soften and break down.
  • Remove the orange peel. Press the mixture through a sieve or purée with an immersion blender. Return to the pan and reduce until thick. Taste before deciding whether a small pinch of sugar is needed.
  • Measure 2 cups of finished purée for the soup. The base yield needs confirmation; do not assume the stated tomato quantity always produces 2 cups.

Finish The Soup:

  • Combine the stock and measured purée in a heavy-bottomed pan. Alternatively, use 1½ cups tomato sauce in place of the purée.
  • Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer gently for about 30 minutes.
  • Sprinkle the semolina in gradually while whisking. Continue cooking gently and stirring until tender and lightly thickened, following the product’s cooking guidance.
  • Adjust the salt and black pepper, then serve with crusty French bread or garlic croûtons.

Notes

  • You can use my Simple Tomato Purée Recipe or Easy Tomato Sauce Recipe, keeping in mind to use less sauce and optional seasoning.
  • Use tomato purée rather than concentrated tomato paste.
  • Use either prepared purée/sauce or the ingredients for making the base; do not count both as separate additions.
  • Tomato ripeness and water content affect the finished purée yield and reduction time.
  • Semolina contains wheat. Omit it for a thinner gluten-free version and verify the remaining ingredients are gluten-free.

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Nutrition

Calories: 89kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 6gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.3gSodium: 769mgPotassium: 796mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 989IUVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 40mgIron: 2mg
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