Make Ahead

Barbara Lynch's Spicy Tomato Soup

January  1, 2013
4.7
7 Ratings
Photo by James Ransom
  • Serves 6
Author Notes

This is a spicy tomato soup that you can make on a whim and eat nearly as soon. (It's also, at its core, 5 vegan ingredients you probably already have.) Recipe adapted very slightly from Stir: Mixing It Up in the Italian Tradition (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009). —Genius Recipes

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, peeled, halved, and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick slices
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste -- we started with 1/2 teaspoon)
  • 2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Crème fraîche, for garnish (optional)
Directions
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and very tender, about 10 minutes.
  2. Stir in the tomatoes and their juices, plus the water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the flavors have melded, about 30 minutes. (If you're in a hurry, you can skip the simmer time -- just add a bit less water.) Add the basil, season with salt and pepper, remove from the heat, and let cool briefly, about 5 minutes.
  3. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a large, heatproof bowl. Using a blender, purée the soup in batches until smooth, removing the small cap from the blender lid (the pour lid) and covering the space with a kitchen towel (this allows steam from the hot soup to escape and prevents the blender lid from popping off).
  4. Pour the blended soup through the strainer, pressing on the solids with a rubber spatula or ladle; discard the solids. Taste the soup and season with additional salt and pepper as needed.
  5. Return the soup to the saucepan and reheat on medium low until hot. If you choose, serve topped with a tablespoon of crème fraîche.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Katie Hornstein
    Katie Hornstein
  • Jocelyn Grayson
    Jocelyn Grayson
  • Rosalind Paaswell
    Rosalind Paaswell
  • Darlene
    Darlene
  • Russell Cunningham
    Russell Cunningham
Genius Recipes

Recipe by: Genius Recipes

47 Reviews

EO September 12, 2020
Excellent and easy. I had no canned tomatoes but a waning pound of small Italian tomatoes that I roasted before returning to the original recipe. I've made it three times since. Thanks!
 
anjali August 26, 2020
the wonderful recipe I was following the same recipe https://www.bhatoora.com/
 
magill July 6, 2020
Had used a similar recipe in the past but lost it, so was happy to find this. Admittedly, that coloured a couple of things as I made this recipe for the first time. I used 1) 1 can of crushed tomatoes (heresy, I know), 2) 2c chicken stock instead of water and 3) 1/2 tsp crushed chili and 1 tsp of a fav hot sauce. Plus an immersion blender, no straining, for a more textured, less smooth (elegant?) finish.

The only thing I find is a little goes a long way and the texture does too - garlic toast (toasted bread rubbed with a clove of garlic, no oil) is a great dipper for some contrast. I also tested some leftover meatballs I had just made which worked well. And something else to test (based on the meatballs) would be a generous sprinkle of walnuts toasted in a bit of oil. I might even test some crumbled goat or feta cheese (with the walnuts even) once the creme fraiche melts.

Happy to have the recipe back in my repertoire.
 
Katie H. October 27, 2019
This is a keeper. I used two large shallots and garlic instead of just one onion. The flavor and texture of the strained soup was superb.
 
Jocelyn G. December 8, 2017
This was delicious. Used 3/4 teaspoon chile flakes and an immersion blender. Perfect with grilled cheese.
 
Rosalind P. January 4, 2017
I am always amused at comments about recipes that purport to love the recipe but make so many changes that they are essentially creating a different dish. So what I'm about to say is that I do love this recipe and wouldn't change anything, except to adjust the heat from the red peppers depending on who will be eating it. BUT I also want to say that it reminds me of a similar recipe for tomato soup that is also worth a try: same amount of tomatoes and onion, with the zested skin of one orange, 5 ounces of orange juice and a quart of vegetable broth. The citrus is a delightful and subtle difference. Not better than the recipe for spicy tomato soup. Just different. And it puzzles me that some have found this soup "bad" for diets. The creme fraiche is optional (I think the dairy muddies the purity of the tomatos) and without it, it is perfect for diets.
 
Darlene October 30, 2016
My only change was to add garlic during the last minute or two of cooking the onions and then, as others suggested, I used my immersion blender at the end and it came out perfectly. We found that 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes worked well for us. I expect to enjoy this simple, but delicious recipe with its minimal ingredient list over and over all through fall and winter. .
 
Russell C. October 26, 2015
Oh $hit! There goes my diet!
 
kxr173 February 22, 2015
I loved this. Have had the soup many a time at BL's restaurant, The Butcher Shop and this was just as delicious! I even strained it, despite having a Vitamix just to follow it exactly the first time around. Perfection. I will be making this again & again and will get lazy sometimes & skip that step :-) Loved it, didn't need a thing!
 
Kaede S. January 2, 2015
Just made this with Muir Glen whole tomatoes also. It was pretty smooth after going through my Cuisinart food processor so I didn't strain. I like my soup having a bit of texture. This is delish. It will go nicely with a grilled cheese.
 
sarabclever October 21, 2014
I've made this and loved it. However, the last time I made it, I did so in my new Vitamix and it didn't taste very good at all. There's nothing to strain out with a vitamix, but I wouldn't have thought not doing so would make it so bland tasting. I wonder if I just was having an off day, or if it's the straining (or lack thereof) as it's the only thin I can think that I did differently. Have been meaning to try again but trying to do some troubleshooting first!
 
Pam S. July 9, 2014
My favorite tomato soup has toasted cumin seeds and garlic. The cumin adds a nutty, smoky depth.
 
nancyg April 1, 2014
Nancyv
I make this with Muir Glenn's Fire Roasted tomatoes & chicken stock....deeeelicious.I DON'T strain, just use my "motor boat"blender in the pot.
 
LittleKi March 23, 2014
This is so ridiculously easy, it's almost embarrassing that this isn't already in our repertoire! I've made several tomato soups and this is the easiest and the best. I downsized it to use the last pint of my home-canned tomatoes. I didn't have basil, so I just left that out. The level of spice *is* a bit strong; I'd dial it back next time. Used my vitamix, didn't strain. Fantastic. I might put up an extra dozen pints or so next year just to have on hand for this.
 
cmita18 March 11, 2014
This is one of my favorite soup recipes to avoid a sad desk lunch! I also use an immersion blender to cut down on prep, and I've also found that balancing my small strainer over top of my KitchenAid mixing bowl is the best way to strain, since it's deeper than your typical mixing bowl.
 
MJ February 20, 2014
I love this soup. I use my immersion blender, very quick, very easy!
 
piccantedolce February 19, 2014
I have Barbara Lynch's cookbook Stir and this is one of my go to recipes from it. I love it as is, but I made a version this weekend where I subbed 1/4 tsp of smoked Spanish paprika for the chili flake and added 2 cloves of garlic, sliced. It was delicious! Like the most perfect homemade version of Campbell's.
 
Paulo C. December 9, 2013
Hello!
Great recipe, if you want instead of the creme fraiche just put eggs and let them boil.
 
LeeLeeBee December 1, 2013
This is a great recipe. We love spicy food, but 1/2 tsp of extra hot red pepper flakes were enough for us. I skip the blending and straining steps and just use an immersion blender - I prefer the slightly thicker texture to watery soup.
 
JonQuirk July 14, 2013
This is an absolutely perfect recipe. I made no adjustments whatsoever and it came out perfectly. If you want to top it off the way Barbara Lynch does, make some mini-toasts out of a baguette, glass them with a bit of evoo, salt, cheese if you like, and press some caraway seeds into it, and bake until crisp. The perfect accompaniment to this perfect soup. I will be making this for the rest of my life.
 
Emilia R. May 19, 2013
If I look for "soup spoon" I get the regular ones, not as "deep" as the one in the picture.
 
Dee K. May 19, 2013
A lot of the modern soup spoons are not very deep. What to ask for is 'cream soup spoons.' The one in photo looks antique and perhaps silver or silver-plate. There are oval spoons more like table or serving spoons. Then there are small deep spoons, which are meant for bouillon, and called 'bouillon spoons.' I just gave eBay a quick look and sellers list things using as many names in the title as possible. But if you type in 'cream soup spoon' you should find some nice deep round cream soup spoons that you like.
Good luck.
 
Emilia R. May 19, 2013
Oh, my, this sounds marvelous! I have to ask you: what do you call the kind of spoon you have in the picture? See, English is not my mother tongue and I can't explain what kind of spoon I am looking for when I in a store...
 
DeirdreMS May 19, 2013
That lovely thing is a soup spoon.
 
Tailgators February 12, 2013
Yum. Kept it simple, blended in the Vitamix and didn't need to strain. Swirled some leftover gorgonzola cream sauce into each serving. Perfect.
 
JohnL February 19, 2014
Tailgators-Michael Symon has a recipe for "Spicy Tomato and Blue Cheese Soup" that you might like. Similar ingredients, but he includes Roth Kaase Buttermilk blue cheese, heavy cream, garlic and oregano. Its pretty quick, rich, and really good, too.
 
JohnL February 19, 2014
Hint: if you make his recipe, use 2 oz cheese, a packed 1/2 cup would be 4 oz (and too strong).
 
Shauna A. January 26, 2013
This turned out great. Used the immersion blender as some others, and strained just a portion of it which made for a great consistency! Added oregano, chili pepper and a bit of garlic as some others. Definitely a win.
 
Marian B. January 22, 2013
Made it in my Vitamix, and didn't strain -- just blended on high for 10-15 seconds, and I loved the consistency. I even resisted the urge to add garlic. It's seriously perfect.
 
weshook January 13, 2013
I didn't make this exact recipe, but I used it as inspiration to make my own tomato soup with oven roasted tomatoes. Yummy! Thanks.
 
Jill M. January 10, 2013
Made this tonight. Skipped the straining step after I saw how thin it would be. Just pureed the whole batch and loved it! Maybe next time I will add something else like garlic, but was delicious without any modifications. Also might cut back on the red pepper flakes. 1/2 tsp was quite spicy for me.
 
easknh January 8, 2013
Made this last night for dinner in my house. Not a hit - comments came back that it smelled and tasted like a tomato sauce, not a good soup. I think I will be looking for a different recipe for next time.
 
Sheryl January 7, 2013
I made this last night and it is fantastic. I added three cloves of smashed garlic with the onion and red pepper flakes. The straining took me awhile but it was totally worth it. Really great recipe. I am going to serve this tonight with avocado grilled cheese sandwiches.
 
iheartblueberries January 5, 2013
Re: straining, I thought a food mill might be more efficient. Everythig was moving full tilt toward dinner until the straining step. I too thought it was a bit of extra effort. BUT! I scraped the outside of the strainer into the soup, and IMO ended in a smooth, elegant, soup with decent body. Homemade croutons added some heft.
 
Sigita January 5, 2013
I have a ricer - that would also be a bit easier than the straining - thanks for your thoughts. I must say- I did enjoy the purity of it.....
 
Emsbutler January 5, 2013
I didn't bother to strain mine. I used the immersion blender and just got rid of the chunks. It was still a bit textured. Not necessary to strain, in my opinion! My soup wasn't thin. Perhaps just add less water?
 
Sigita January 5, 2013
Thanks for the feedback- perhaps a bit less water but certainly keeping the "solids" would thicken it up a but.... thought of using an old trick from mexican cooking- and softening a stone ground corn tortilla into the soup.....would work with the spicy seasoning too.
 
Sigita January 5, 2013
Am making this now- seems alot of effort with the straining and the remaining soup is rather thin..... flavorful but thin.
 
sstalnaker January 4, 2013
I can imagine this served with a beautifully poached egg in each bowl, and of course toasted home made sourdough. Making this tonight.
 
Emsbutler January 4, 2013
I made this using the note about 1/2 the pepper flakes. For us, that was spicy enough. I didn't have basil, but it was delicious without. I topped it with a dollop of Greek yogurt!
Very good! I'll make this again.
 
MBogdanovich January 2, 2013
I went with the dried guajillo chiles because that is what I had. Seared and soaked them then put them in #2 process, we can all make it our own tills the cows come home. Very good recipe, will make it again. I am sure differently, (because that is what is in my house).
 
ConnieHuberSchmidt January 2, 2013
How should (or could) I adapt this to use with my Vitamix?
 
Kristen M. January 2, 2013
No major adaptation needed -- I would blend, then taste to see if you like the consistency as is. Then strain if you like (you may want to use a very fine strainer, or even cheesecloth-lined strainer if you want it very smooth).
 
JohnL February 19, 2014
I have an old Vitamix blender and the beauty of this appliance is that I have never had to go thru the step of straining anything after using it to puree. Everything I've ever used it for comes out so velvety smooth and creamy there is nothing left to strain out. There is no trace left of a seed or tomato skin. Seriously, it's in the must see to believe category. Awesome blender!
 
Tucker &. January 2, 2013
Some fresh ricotta worked very well, and I also used the immersion blender. Very yum!
 
iheartblueberries January 2, 2013
I am letting this bubble on my stovetop right now.
Never one to leave well-enough alone (even genius), I added garlic and seasoned sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, and used that oil to saute the onions. Can't wait to eat this tomorrow-perfect for the frigid temps here in NY!
 
I A. January 2, 2013
Hi all! This recipe begs for the addition of oregano and chipotle pepper. Both adds will perk the taste up substantially. Also, add some fresh basil when you top with the creme fraiche at serving step.Happy cooking and thanks for sharing!