Don’t we all have memories of tomato soup as kids? My mum usually had tins of Heinz tomato soup at home to have as a snack or if it was cold and me and my brothers always appreciated a tin of this iconic soup after school. I promise you, once you’ve made this soup, you will never go back to the tinned variety ever again.
Serve with a bread roll for a satisfying lunch.
I’ve adapted this soup over the years with the addition of chilli and vodka! yes vodka, can you taste it? I’m not so sure but what it does do is give a lovely warmth to the tomato soup much needed during the winter months especially with the recent snow; the chilli adds a nice kick, these are the reasons why this soup is so comforting and delicious to have during winter. I also add some balsamic vinegar which brings out the sweetness of the tomatoes as does roasting them.
tomatoes, red peppers & onions, garlic and basil marry together to make the most delicious soup.
It’s so easy to make, it goes in the oven and 40 minutes later, it’s done, the only time you need to dedicate to this soup after roasting is the time it takes you to blend the soup and pass through a sieve. Two-ways is basically the soup with the addition of double cream, it gives a rich creamy taste, I like making it both ways. You can add some home-made croutons if you like, break up some stale bread and drizzle with garlic infused olive oil and bake in a medium oven for 30 minutes until dried out. Otherwise, just serve with some crusty bread and proper butter, a side salad and you have a delicious, healthy supper.
Ready for roasting, tomatoes, red peppers & onions and garlic.
After roasting for 40 minutes, the vegetables have broken down and softenend.
Blend the soup in batches and pass through a medium sieve, do not use a fine sieve which you use for baking, you’ll be there forever.
After blending, warm through adding the vodka, tabasco and balsamic vinegar.
There’s nothing better than a bowl of deliciuos homemade tomato soup.
SPICY TOMATO SOUP TWO WAYS
Use a medium sieve not a fine one otherwise you will be standing there forever trying to pass the blended soup through the sieve and if some bits pass through, that's fine, it's nice to have some texture. I blend the soup in 3 batches, sometimes, I don't pass the last batch through the sieve, it adds texture to the soup. I use fresh basil which I add when I blend the soup not while it's roasting, you don't want to lose the aromatic flavour and scent of the basil in the soup. If you're using cream, 150ml of double cream will do. This soup freezes perfectly, for convenience, freeze in individual tupperware containers.
Ingredients
- 1.2kg large vine tomatoes
- 2 large red peppers
- 2 red onions
- 4-5 cloves garlic
- 2-3 tbs olive oil for roasting
- 2 tbs balsamic vinegar
- 5tbs vodka
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 2-3 shakes of tabasco sauce according to how hot you like your food!
- 1/2 tsp caster sugar - optional
TOMATO SOUP TWO-WAYS
- 150ml double cream
Instructions
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Heat oven to gas mark 7 or equivalents. Wash the vegetables and dry. Halve the red peppers removing the stalk and seeds and slice each half into three, cut the onions into wedges - each half into three.
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Place the tomatoes and cut onions and peppers into a large oven-proof tray with the garlic cloves, chilli flakes and plenty of pepper and some salt. Drizzle the oilive oil over and roast in the oven for 40 minutes turning veg over half way through roasting.
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Remove from oven and allow to cool a little for 5 minutes. Blitz soup in a blender in three batches adding 150ml of water to each batch and a third of the basil each time you blend until it's all used. Pass each batch through a medium sieve into a clean saucepan.
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Add the balsamic vinegar, vodka, tabasco and sugar if using (I like to add 1/2 tsp). Warm through and enjoy!
TWO-WAYS
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After adding the tabasco, balsamic and vodka, warm through adding 150ml of double cream ensuring the soup does not boil.
Recipe Notes
This is a healthy, comforting soup that is delicious in the winter as well as summer, in fact, don't warm through in the summer. Chill after blitzing and you have Gazpacho!
The soup freezes well, portion into individual tupperware containers and you'll have a healthy lunch with no fuss - remembering to defrost the night before. Serve with a crusy roll or a pitta bread.
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