Smoky Tomato Soup

I can't get enough of soup right now. I am actually eating tomato soup as I write this post and there is something kind of humbling and comforting about that. Whenever the weather takes that brisk turn around this time of year I always reach for a bowl of soup and its always tomato. I can't say I am a lover of any other type unless its the tomato variety. For a foodie I am not very adventurous. With an abundance of this years tomatoes in the freezer and a craving for home made soup, I set out to create soup heaven. I love deep flavours when it comes to anything with tomatoes in it, like pasta sauces etc. So I used paprika in this to give it a deep smoky flavour as well as using balsamic vinegar and smoked garlic. Each one adds their own depth of flavour to the soup giving it a real smoky edge. I would highly recommend getting some smoked garlic to use in every day cooking because once you try it, it will really blow your mind. It has to be one of the greatest ingredient discoveries of the year for me! I found it in my local Morrinsons.


If you are going to use frozen tomatoes for this then make sure they are fully defrosted before cooking, however if you are using fresh ones make sure you take the vines off and give them a wash before cooking. I also added a rasher of crispy smoked bacon to add more smokiness as well as giving the dish a little texture, almost like replacing croutons.

Smoky Tomato Soup
(Serves 4)

1 Red Onion, finely chopped
1 Carrot, finely chopped
3 Smoked Garlic Cloves, crushed
2 Tbsp Tomato Puree
2 Tsp Light Brown Sugar
2 Tsp Paprika
1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
2 Bay Leaves
1kg Tomatoes
1 1/2 Pint Vegetable Stock
Black Pepper

Smoky Bacon Rashers (to finish)

Start by preparing the vegetables. Finely chop the carrot and red onion. Take the vines of the tomatoes and chop them in half.

In a large pan, add a dash of olive oil and put on a low heat. Once the oil starts to bubble add in the red onion and carrot and mix together with a wooden spoon. Staying on a low heat, cook the vegetables until they start to soften. Add in the crushed garlic cloves and cook for a further minute.

Add in the tomato puree and stir with a wooden spoon so that all the vegetables are covered. Place in the tomatoes along with the sugar, paprika and balsamic vinegar. Stir together and leave to cook for a minute. Add in the bay leaves and place the lid on the pan, cook over a low heat for 10 minutes to allow the tomatoes to absorb all the flavours and so they shrink down in the pan. Give the mixture a stir from time to time to avoid sticking.

Slowly pour in the vegetable stock, stirring at the same time. Turn up the heat to the highest setting and wait for everything to bubble, then turn down low and leave to simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Take off the heat and fish out the bay leaves. Using a stick blender or a free standing blender blitz the soup until it becomes smooth, if you desire a deeper colour of red add in a splash more of tomato puree and blitz again. Place a sieve over a large bowl and pour the mixture through just to make sure all the skin and pips are free from the soup.

When ready to serve place back on a medium heat and wait for bubbles to appear, then it is ready to serve. And for extra smokiness I cooked up a rasher of smoky bacon and placed it on top. Perfection!