Hi,

My favorite tomato soup recipe has to be gazpacho. It can be simple or complex - lots of recipes on www.epicurious.com and elsewhere on the web to use as a starting point. Many of the recipes call for tomato juice along with diced tomatoes, but I just use more tomatoes than called for and puree these in the cuisnart to my desired consistency (sort of a cross between diced and juice).

I really don't have any set recipe but here's basically what I do. Using the cuisnart, I individually chop or mince to desired texture cucumber, green pepper, sweet red onion, a jalapeno or serrano pepper to taste, and cilantro. Then I core my tomatoes and puree these to a pretty fine consitency. I combine all of the veggies in a bowl along with some minced or pressed garlic to taste. Then I add a bit of balsamic vinegar and olive oil and let everything sort of meld together in the fridge for a while. Once chilled I may season with some salt or pepper or just let people add their own to taste at the table. For serving, laddle the soup into the bowl and top with some croutons and a dollop of sour cream. If you want to get fancy you can also garnish with avocado wedges or whatever.

(If you would like to see more precise amounts of things like the vinegar and oil and garlic, etc., you can get an idea from some of the online recipes).

You can do an endless number of variations. You can make this soup as chunky or smooth as you want and vary the proportion of ingredients to taste or depending on what you have on hand. Lots of people thin with chicken stock or water if its too thick (Julia Child used some white wine in hers as I recall). I like adding a splash of sherry and tobasco sauce at the table (sounds weird but it works for me LOL!).

It's really quick and easy to make, uses up lots of tomatoes and tastes great, esp. on hot summer days.

Looking forward to seeing other tomato soup recipes posted!

Anne

This is my favorite way to have tomato soup in the summer. I'm not big on Gazpacho flavors. Here is an example and a simple recipe
http://hubpages.com/hub/Chilled_tomato_and_fresh_basil_soup_recipe_A_refreshing_and_easy_starter_for_your_next_BBQ

I use this as my basic gazpacho recipe. Just throw all the ingredients in the blender. It's great topped with shavings of Spanish manchego cheese, or shavings of parmigiano-reggiano, or other high-quality firm cheese...a swirl of heavy cream, diced hard boiled egg, basil, Italian parsley...endless topping possibilities for gazpacho.

Also, a cream based Tomato-Basil soup is another idea.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tyler's gazpacho

Of course, you must serve Gazpacho or Tomato-Basil soup with a crusty baguette for dipping!

(And also, to the gazpacho you can add jalapeno or spicy tomato juice during blending, if you prefer a little kick.)

Thanks for recipe, Tyler. Do you grow your own? Do you have a favorite tomato basil recipe? I would love to freeze some and add a little fresh julienne basil to the top from a window sill plant this winter. I saw your roasted tomato soup recipe on Foodnetwork.com but I was hoping for something with less heavy cream that would also freeze well. Of coarse I could always make it fresh from whatever tomatoes I am able to freeze.

Sue

Yep Sue, that gazpacho recipe is by the chef Tyler Florence on foodnetwork.com.

Thanks liz63, for posting the tomato-basil link ~sounds very simple and refreshing.

I also enjoy 'Creamy Tomato-Basil Soup' from Walter Staib's 'Black Forest Cuisine' cookbook. It has vegetable/chicken stock, white wine, cream, butter, and more, and is great year-round.

~Caroline

Awe gee, Carolyn, for a minute I thought we had Tyler here contributing. :) LOL. Jokes on me.

Sue

I use frozen or canned stewed tomatoes. Put stewed tomatoes
in a large pot add onion salt and garlic powder to taste
bring to a boil turn down heat add a little chopped basil, add a teaspoon of baking soda, it will foam like crazy, add milk
to pot stir add a pat of butter heat serve with french bread.
mike

Hmm, Mike, do you know why the baking soda is there? Its an odd ingredient for soup.

Sue

the baking soda is to cut the acid so your milk doesn't turn into cottage cheese when you add it. This is the way
my grandmother's family made it on the farm. Her family had a farm and little money, they raised and canned the food they needed. Very few things were store bought: spices,flour. tea. coffee. I still remember that if they planned to have fried chicken for Sunday dinner you killed and dressed the chickens saturday.
I have no idea how old the recipe is but I'm in my 60's and I can't remember the first time I ate it.
I really like the large pieces of tomatoe and flavor.
By the way goes great with grill cheese sandwiches.
mike

Well I will just have to try my hand at gazpacho now, I suppose. And thanks for the tip, Mike, about the baking soda. I had wanted to cut the acid in tomato sauces before but was unsure whether to use it. I add baking soda to my mixed greens to help create the pot liquor, but had never tried it in tomato concoctions. Interesting. Thanks for all the recipes, guys and gals!

We freeze exess tomatos. Try stewed tomatos with okra,delicious combination.
Make a good vegatable soup with tomatos, onion, potatos and any beans, peas, carrots, turnips, kohlrabi, or other veggie leftovers. Oh add a table spoon of sugar or equivalent sweetner,and a little salt.