Fall is just about upon us. Cooler weather has settled in over much of the country. Most of my fellow food bloggers have broken out recipes for braised, slow cooked foods that highlight the best ingredients that fall, or at least late Autumn, has to offer in their area. Looking over their recipes has me dreaming of cool afternoons and a dutch oven simmering over low heat, waiting to offer up its succulent slow cooked contents for our family, and my son’s first taste of braised pork roast or slow roasted chicken.
Here in the great state of Texas, we’re still dealing with 90 degree days, but the mornings are foreshadowing cooler days to come. The cravings for more winter-esque foods are becoming increasingly pronounced as the days get shorter, and yesterday I caved in to them. The result is this tomato basil soup recipe.
Tomato soup paired with a grilled cheese sandwich is not only the perfect cool weather lunch, though the combination has definitely been one of the most common in my household for years. The two together are also a quintessential American comfort food meal of nearly epic proportions, so I doubt too many people will find it surprising that I chose this combination for my first officially “fall” dish.
I won’t go into the sandwich in this entry, as it was a simple Muenster sandwich browned in olive oil. The star of the show is the soup and it is what deserves our attention here. Thick, rich and so very satisfying that it could almost be called a tomato stew, and could definitely be used as a sauce, it’s a far cry from anything you’ve had out of a can, and more than worth the trouble to make, I assure you.
Tomato Basil Soup Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4 Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 228Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 490mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 6gSugar: 16gProtein: 4g
What I would have done differently had I thought of it at the time:
This sup is nearly thick enough to be considered a tomato sauce. The addition of a bit of cream might make it a bit more like the stuff you get out of a can, but I’m really not sure it would make it any better than it was. As it is, if you omit the white roux (the mixture of flour, butter and vegetable stock) , it could serve very nicely as a simple tomato sauce or simple marinara, though that’s not nearly enough to deter me from making it again.
Honestly, it was a wonderful, filling and soul-soothing experience that both I and Mrs. Seat of her Pants enjoyed very much. We had actually planned to re-purpose the sauce as an ingredient in a pork loin recipe until we lost power that evening, an event that sent us off to a local diner for dinner instead. (And my choice of dinners is still giving me grief today, I might add… I’ve got to remember to avoid their chili!)
What is it about the combination of tomato soup and grilled cheese that evokes all the best parts of childhood? It is the ultimate comfort food combination. Your soup looks lovely; I’d probably thin it with a bit of water or vegetable stock, though it would not be as luscious as yours.
Lydia,
I actually did thin the soup out a lot more than the recipe called for. Had I not, it would have been a marinara!
Yeah..that combination is amazing! Sometimes I like to make toast and cut it into squares and pour the tomato soup over that.
Hi Jerry
I was searching the web a few days ago for tomato and basil soup, and i came across your page, the soup turned out great and with a little bit of this and aa wee b it o that i got how the wife likes it,(not too far off origional script)
Many thanks Jerry
I will check out your you tube page
Regards
Graham Russell
@Graham – I’m glad she likes it!
Fabulous!!!!! This is my favorite tomato soup ever!!! Great with homemade
croutons and a little cheese ( robusto) on top!!!!