Tomato Soup Recipe

Tomato soup has long been a favorite in the culinary world. This creamy, warm red dish is packed with taste-bud-tingling flavor and has a velvety smooth texture that spills delight. It’s not just a great meal by itself but goes with plenty of side dishes. Have it with croutons for that bit of crunch, jacket potatoes for some starch, or a humble serving of bread and butter for those who like to keep things simple. Any of these is a fine choice, but none compare to its well-established side dish, the grilled cheese sandwich, a warm toasted treat that oozes gooey melted cheese. 

This heavenly pairing is the perfect comfort food for those long winter months but also serves as a brunchtime meal, an afternoon snack, or something to entertain guests without being too showy. 

Along with being quick and easy to make, tomato soup has a bit of history. It’s believed the tomato first grew in South America before it later found its way into Mesoamerica, a region that spans over modern-day Central America and Mexico. In the 16th century, the area was colonized by the Spanish, who developed a taste for the tomato, so much so that they brought it back home to their homeland. Though the fruit was popular in Spain and Portugal, it was some time before it gained acceptance in the rest of Europe, as other nations believed it was poisonous. 

The tomato soon moved worldwide after enjoying popularity in the Southern and eventually Northern Continent. When the European powers turned their ambitions to the East, the fruit came to Asia. The Spanish brought tomatoes to The Philippines, where they then came to China through trade, while the Portuguese brought them to their colonies in Africa and India.  

Tomatoes were then brought to North America by European settlers, where they quickly began to flourish and became part of many new recipes. First came the birth of ketchup in the 1810s, and then the earliest known tomato soup recipes were published in Eliza Leslie’s New Cookery Book in 1857. A few decades later, the Campbell Soup Company then popularized the dish by introducing a line of condensed soups (including tomato) in 1897.   

By the early 20th century, tomato soup had become a household name. The creamy delight was on shelves, in cookbooks, and restaurant menus. It was a popular choice among many and enjoyed by families, diners, and home cooks everywhere. But the era wasn’t just a booming time for the soup but also saw the coming of its soon-to-be side dish.

The turn of the century brought a new savory snack called the cheese dream, a simple but tasty picking of cheese and mustard on toasted bread. As the snack gained popularity, people began adding to it, like ham, eggs, mayonnaise, and ketchup. Then came the invention of processed cheese, and the toasted treat or grilled cheese sandwich, as it became known, continued to thrive throughout the 1920s and 30s. The 1940s saw further popularization of the sandwich with a serge in wartime cookbooks promoting the recipe. Grilled cheese proved popular with both servicemen and in school cafeterias. Later, schools began packaging the sandwich with tomato soup to give the meal extra nutrition, and soon, the pairing became a lunchtime staple.             

The tomato soup and grilled cheese combo has stood the test of time and today is known as an easy, comforting, rich, and flavorful dish that remains a top choice among diners and dinner guests. It’s always been a firm favorite of mine, and after reading recipe books, watching cooking videos, sampling from brunch cafes, and through trials in the kitchen, I have put together a fine tomato soup recipe.         

Ingredients

Seasonings and spices

Salt

Black Pepper 

Cayenne Pepper

Smoked Paprika

Vegetables

Chopped Red Onions

Crushed Garlic

Chopped Tomatoes

Other

Cooking Oil

Olive Oil

Chicken Stock

Cooking Cream

Butter

Grated Cheese

Mayonnaise

Farmhouse Bread

For the soup

First, heat a skillet pan and add cooking oil. When the oil is hot, add chopped red onions, switch to low heat, and cook until soft. Next, add the crushed garlic, stir with the onions, and cook until fragrant. Then season the mix with cayenne pepper and smoked paprika and continue to stir. After that, drizzle some olive oil over the onions and garlic and cook for three to five minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, mix with the onions and garlic, and cook for another three to five minutes.   

Next, take the skillet off the heat, pour the contents into a blender, and blitz into a fine paste. Place the skillet pan back on the hob and warm on a low flame. Add a knob of butter and gently heat until melted. Pour the mixture back into the pan and give it a good stir. Next, add chicken stock and cook for five to seven minutes, then add cooking cream and some salt. Continue to cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, until it forms a smooth, creamy texture. When it’s ready, remove from the heat and leave to one side to cool for a few minutes. Lastly, Pour the soup into a bowl and top it off with black pepper.     

For the grilled cheese

First, take two slices of farmhouse bread and butter a side of each. Next, heat a skillet pan on a medium to high flame and place one of the slices (butter side down) in the center. As the slice toasts, top with grated cheese, mayonnaise, and a sprinkling of cayenne pepper if you want to give it some bite. Then top the other slice (butter side up) and turn the sandwich over to toast the other side. Once cooked, remove the grilled cheese from the skillet and place it on a chopping board to rest. Finally, cut it in half and serve on a plate alongside the soup.    

So there you have a tomato soup for creamy comfort during the colder months, a nice brunchtime treat on weekends, or something quick and easy to whip up as an afternoon snack. Easy to make, delights the palate, and satisfies those pesky hunger pangs, a perfect picking for all.  

Bon Appetit