Homemade soups are one of the most nutritious foods since they are made with natural ingredients, of plant or animal origin, which vary depending on the type of soup we want to make. Especially during the cold seasons, they are the favorite dish of the majority to combat it and warm up quickly. One of the most widespread soups is tomato, due to its high content of vitamin C, and antioxidant and diuretic properties. In addition, making it at home is very simple, you just need to gather all the ingredients and get down to work. Keep reading this article and discover how to make homemade tomato soup.
Ingredients:
- 1 kg of ripe tomatoes
- 1 liter of water
- 1 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 carrot
- a spoonful of sugar
- A bay leaf, mint, or parsley to decorate
- Salt, pepper, and olive oil
- bread (optional)
Steps to follow:
Step: 1
The first thing we are going to do to make this delicious tomato soup is to prepare the ingredients. To do this, peel and chop the onion, red pepper, garlic cloves, and carrot into small pieces. The pepper does not need to be very large, a medium-sized one will suffice.
Step: 2
When you have them well chopped, take a pot, add a drizzle of olive oil, add all these ingredients and cook them. You must do it over low heat to obtain the expected result. Season to taste. While the vegetables are poaching, remove the stems from the tomatoes and make a cross cut in each of them.
Step: 3
Now, take another pot with enough capacity to add all the tomatoes, fill it with water and bring it to a boil. When the water is boiling, add the tomatoes and leave them for about a minute to blanch. It is essential that these vegetables are ripe to obtain a more intense flavor.
Step: 4
While the tomatoes are blanching, add the tablespoon of sugar to the vegetables and stir. You should watch that they do not burn or stick, so move them with a wooden spoon from time to time. We use sugar to reduce the acidity of the tomatoes a bit, but if you prefer, you can reduce the amount of this ingredient. Keep in mind that the process of poaching vegetables is not quick and will take time.
Step: 5
When the tomatoes are blanched, remove them, let them cool down a bit, and remove the skin from each one of them, you will see that it practically comes out by itself. Then, you will have to chop them as you did with the vegetables, in small pieces. Once the vegetables have been poached, add the chopped tomatoes, stir everything, leave it for another minute and cover all the vegetables with water. The liter of water is approximate, you may need a little more in total.
Step: 6
Once you have covered the vegetables with the water, you should leave them on the fire for approximately 20 minutes, and turn it up to medium heat so that it boils. Over time, you will see that the tomato soup has already acquired the reddish hue so characteristic of this traditional dish. Turn off the heat, let it warm up a bit, and whisk everything to get a creamy and smooth texture.
Step: 7
In many places, it is customary to serve tomato soup with a little fried bread on top. So, if you want, you can chop up some bread, fry it, and add it to individual dishes. When you have mixed the tomato soup well, all that remains is to serve it and, as decoration, place a bay leaf, parsley, or mint leaf in the center or on one side of the plate. And ready! You already have your homemade tomato soup ready to eat or, if you prefer, use it as a sauce for meat or fish.
If you want to finish this homemade tomato soup in a different and original way, you can add a little cheddar cheese, and serve the hot soup in the bowls, enough to melt the cheese. Grate the cheese directly into the bowls, and serve with a slice of bread.