I’m joining my dear friends Mary Ann and Cindy and joining us this month is Celia of After Orange County and Lisa of Shine Your Light to share our favorite soup recipes. When we came up with a calendar of ideas for Project Design for the coming year, we all thought sharing our favorite soup recipes would be perfect for January. No matter where you live, east coast or west coast… January is soup weather.
I’m sharing two recipes for tomato soup. There’s nothing more comforting in the winter than a bowl of tomato soup. I make two different recipes and then vary them a bit each time depending what I have on hand. One of our favorites is the tomato basil soup recipe from the Nordstrom Cafe. It’s quite indulgent, but my kids love it, so on occasion I’ll make it for a family lunch or dinner with a salad and of course parmesan-garlic crostini.
The Nordstrom Cafe Tomato Basil Soup
PrintNordstrom Cafe Tomato Basil Soup
This recipe is from the Nordstrom blog, The Thread
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 45
- Category: soup
- Method: easy
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 5 carrots peeled and chopped
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
- 1/4 cup fresh basil
- 3 (28 ounce) cans whole San Marzano tomatoes in purée
- 1 can (14.5 ounce) low sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped chiffonade
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven, sauté the carrots and onions until translucent, about 10 minutes over medium heat.
- Add in the basil and crushed red pepper if using
- Add the tomatoes (in their juices) and the chicken broth and bring to a broil
- Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes
- Remove soup from the heat and blend using a stick blender or in batches in a blender. Blend until completely smooth.
- Add the cream and return pot to the heat for a minute or two, stirring to blend.
- Season with salt & pepper
Notes
Ladle soup into bowls and serve Nordstrom style..with a crostini on the rim of the bowl. Sprinkle with a little fresh basil.
Because we don’t always have heavy cream on hand…I have substituted coconut milk replacing the heavy cream. It has a different flavor, but so many fewer calories, that I actually prefer it.
Roasted Tomato Soup with a Bubbly Cheese Sandwich on Top
PrintRoasted Tomato Soup with a Bubbly Cheese Sandwich
This soup is delicious with roasted plum tomatoes, but if you don’t have them, use canned San Marzano. Hardly anyone will know!
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 35
- Total Time: 50
- Category: soup
- Method: easy
Ingredients
- 3 pounds plum tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise or 2 28 ounce cans of San Marzano tomatoes
- 2–3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves peeled and placed each in a foil packet
- 1/4 cup fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or more if you like it spicy)
- 4 cups low salt chicken or vegetable stock
- Sandwich bread or country french bread that’s thin enough to go into the toaster
- Butter (just a bit to butter the toast before it’s topped with cheese)
- White cheddar cheese to top each bread slice on each mug of soup
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 400ºF.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place tomatoes, cut side up on the pan. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and drizzle olive oil over tomatoes.
- Place the closed packets of garlic on the pan along with the tomatoes and bake for 30-40 minutes.
- Cool slightly and carefully remove the garlic cloves and place into a food processor along with the tomatoes and pulse until smooth.
- Add the garlic and tomatoes mixture to a heavy dutch oven and add the chicken or vegetable broth, fresh or dried basil and crushed red pepper
- Bring to a boil and then simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes.
- Ladle soup into mugs and and top with the toasted and buttered bread. Cover with shredded cheddar and place tray of mugs in the oven just until cheese gets bubbly.
- Let them cool slightly before serving.
Roast the tomatoes with salt and pepper and olive oil. Place a garlic clove in a small foil packet and roast along with the tomatoes. Purée together until smooth.Toast some bread (sandwich bread is fine if you don’t have a loaf of country french bread around)…lightly butter it and put it on your mug of soup like a lid. Cover with shredded cheese and pop into the oven until it’s bubbling. Let it cool slightly and serve.
This recipe is one of those that you can make from the pantry if you don’t happen to have three pounds of plum tomatoes. I almost always have an onion, garlic and cans of plum tomatoes along with sandwich bread in the freezer and some sort of cheese. It’s perfect for a snow day when you don’t want to leave the house, but you want a warm and cozy dinner. Not only does this recipe take very few ingredients, but it comes together very quickly. Topped with a cheddar grilled cheese and served in a mug, it’s the perfect snow day dinner. Now…if only we would get some snow!
Please go check out these recipes! There’s a recipe for a healthy roasted red pepper soup, a recipe for a corn chowder, a bread and cabbage soup and a hearty beef and barley. Click the links below to take you to the recipes.
Classic Casual Home
Rough Luxe Lifestyle
After Orange County
Shine Your Light
Lisa says
I am seriously making the pantry version of that second soup today! What could be better than a “grilled” cheese right on top of it! I LOVE that idea and I can already tell we’ll be doing that going forward with all tomato soup eating in this house! Thanks for these wonderful recipes Annie, and for allowing me to join you this month! So excited to try all these recipes!
annie diamond says
Lisa- We both finally have soup weather here in the northeast! My son had been playing golf all break until today…just too cold and windy, but perfect for soup! Are your kids back at school? It goes by too fast! Happy New Year!
classic casual home says
This looks FANTASTIC. I want to try both. The last one is a fun take on French Onion Soup…but this sounds better!
Mary Ann
Celia Becker @ www.AfterOrangeCounty.com says
WOW! Two recipes for the price of one, how lucky are we? I am a Nordie fan and have always enjoyed dining in their cafe. Who knew one could also make their yummy tomato soup at home. I see that you use San Marzano tomatoes, which are the very best and must make this soup taste like you were dining in Italy. The second soup recipe looks equally delish because of the roasted tomatoes! Love your idea for using a biscuit cutter to cut the toast topper for the soup. Genius! I’ll be making both recipes very soon!
annie diamond says
And I will be making yours in the very same Dutch Oven!
cindy hattersley says
Oh my, that second version has my name on it. Grilled Cheese and (Campbells Tomato (yuk) soup a comfort combination growing up. My mom was not a cook. My father always used to say my sister and I learned to cook in self-defense! At any rate, I have a good roasted tomato soup that I make but this one sounds even better. I can’t believe how delicious all of these soups sound. So much variety and every one delicious sounding!
annie diamond says
oh my gosh…that’s so funny! I can’t imagine that you didn’t grow up in a family of good cooks! Did your mom entertain? You are the best at both! I mean they go together most of the time, but I do know a few people that entertain and order everything! They take their own platters and trays and pick them up with food on the platters!
Sandra Sallin - Apart From My Art says
Thanks for the inspiration. I adore soups in the winter, Of course in Southern California you don’t get much of a winer. But the word is out there will be rain. I certainly will try your tomato soup. Do you think even these winter tomatoes will be OK roasted?
annie diamond says
So lucky to be in southern California! We haven’t had hardly any winter weather…until today! It’s cold and windy! Do you still have tomatoes growing in your garden? I think winter tomatoes would be fine roasted…right??
Karen Bunch says
This looks tasty, especially with the toasted cheese and bread. Tomato soup is the Mister’s favorite. I’ll give your recipe try.
Thanks.
Karen
annie diamond says
tomato soup and grilled cheese of any kind is total comfort food! Happy New Year karen!!
Stefanie Wall says
Omg, that cheese bread soup!!! We are big fans of the Nordstrom Cafe soup, (especially my Kate since she was 3 years old) and I’ve never tried making it. Thanks for these mouth-watering recipes! I’m so happy it’s cold in LA!