Chef notes
When cooking tomato soup, you can develop many layers of flavor and add in your favorite vegetables. My version of tomato soup has creamy and rich flavors from coconut milk, caramelized onions and deeply roasted tomatoes. To help round out the flavors, I enjoy adding vibrant flavors like harissa and lime juice. This recipe uses a blender to create a creamy soup. However, if you enjoy your tomato soup chunky, feel free to skip the blending step.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Roma or plum tomatoes, halved
- 8 cloves garlic, peeled
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 large shallots, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons harissa paste, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/2 cup chopped basil leaves (about 8-15 leaves), plus more for garnish
- 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk or heavy cream
- 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 small lime, juiced
- grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish (optional)
Preparation
1.Preheat the oven to 400 F.
2.In a large bowl, toss together tomatoes, garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper. Place the seasoned tomatoes on a large baking sheet. Roast for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the tomatoes are slightly charred.
3.While the tomatoes are roasting, place a large Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the sliced shallots. Stir to coat the shallots in olive oil. Cook until the shallots are cooked down to a golden color, about 30 minutes, stirring every 5 to 8 minutes. Once cooked, stir in harissa paste, tomato paste, oregano and basil.
4.Once the tomatoes are cooked, allow to cool for at least 15 minutes. Into a blender, combine together the roasted tomatoes, cooked shallots, coconut milk, vegetable broth and lime juice. Blend until the soup is combined and slightly chunky.
5.Pour the blended soup back into the pot and simmer for 10 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper. Once finished simmering, serve in individual bowls and top with fresh basil, grated Parmesan cheese and freshly cracked black pepper.
