Smoked Paprika Roasted Tomato Soup
I never understood the appeal of tomato soup until I made it from scratch. The canned versions always tasted metallic, watery or overly sweet. But since discovering the rich, tomatoey goodness of homemade tomato soup, I’ve now become a complete convert to grilled cheese and tomato soup. I’ve shared my recipe for homemade Creamy Tomato Soup before on this blog, but recently I’ve wanted to try out a chunkier, spicier tomato soup with more bit to it. Smoked is always my go-to spice when I want a hint of smoky spice in a dish without the heat overpowering the other flavors and so it seemed a perfect choice for this recipe. Roasting the tomatoes brings out all the rich tomato flavor and adds a little more depth to the flavor. I just blend this soup up right in the pot with a stick blender, but a regular blender would also work for those who like a smoother texture. You could also strain this soup through a fine mesh sieve to remove all the skin and seeds, if you desire a smoother soup. However, I love the chunkier, more rustic texture of the un-strained version. This isn’t necessarily the best soup for dipping sandwiches in, but it is delicious with a grilled cheese sandwich on the side. Now bring not the Fall weather!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes, quartered
- 4 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 28 ounce can whole tomatoes with basil
- 1 loosely packed cup fresh basil leaves, roughly torn
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Toss the tomatoes with 2 Tablespoons of the olive oil, the kosher salt, pepper and smoked paprika. Roast for 30-40 minutes in the preheat oven, stirring once or twice. They are done when the tomatoes have released their juices and the skins are just beginning to brown a little. Remove from oven and set aside.
- 2. Heat remaining 2 Tablespoons olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute, or just until fragrant. Add the roasted tomatoes and their juices, the canned tomatoes with their juice, broth, water and the fresh basil. Break up the larger tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Turn heat down to low, cover the pot and simmer for about 30 minutes, to let the flavors all blend.
- 3. Remove the pan from the heat once soup has simmered for awhile and has thickened slightly. Using an immersed stick blender, blend the soup right in the pot until it is as smooth or chunky as you like. Taste for seasoning and add extra salt or pepper if needed. Serve hot, preferably with grilled cheese sandwiches!