URB’N’SPICE ULTIMATE RECIPE SERIES

The weather is starting to change where I live in the Okanagan.  Mornings are chilly and the day is shorter.  Time to make Gourmet Creamy Baked Tomato Soup!  This is what my family considers to be “real” tomato soup and this flavourful soup is a favourite requested for birthday dinners and family gatherings.

Gourmet Creamy Baked Tomato Soup is similar in style to French Onion Soup, where the finished soup is ladled into an individual baking dish, topped with a buttered and toasted crusty piece of French bread and covered with a thick covering of cheese. This soup can easily be adapted to a gluten-free,  dairy-free and vegetarian dietary option. We like to serve this soup with crispy grilled cheese sandwiches, cut into small strips (or ‘fingers’, as we call them) – perfect for dipping!

Gourmet Creamy Baked Tomato Soup

CHEF TALK: I am not sure where this recipe originated, but first learned of it from a fundraising cookbook project that I was involved in with the staff of the Provincial Court in Nanaimo, B.C.  I have adjusted the recipe to enhance the flavours and texture to produce a chunky and rustic soup. As another option, use an immersion blender to puree the soup for a smooth presentation. The soup can easily be made ahead of time and refrigerated until required. When you are ready to serve the soup, ladle portions into oven-proof bowls, top with the bread and cheese garnish and bake until bubbly.

Serves 6 @ 10 oz./300 ml serving each or 8 servings @ 7 oz./220 ml each

Yield: Approximately 1 ½ quarts/1760 ml total

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
• 1 cup finely diced onion
• ½ cup finely diced celery
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon dried basil
• ½ teaspoon dried dill weed
• 1 can (796 ml) diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt (or to taste)
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper (or to taste)
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth

White Sauce:

• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• ½ cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour blend
• 2 cups milk (2%, whole milk or dairy-free milk of choice)

Garnish:

• French Bread, sliced into one-inch slices, buttered and toasted
• Shredded mozzarella cheese

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 350^oF. In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil and add the first 3 ingredients until the vegetables are softened.
2. Add the basil, dill weed, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar and salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes
3. Add the chicken broth, and bring to a boil, then simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
4. In the meantime, make the white sauce: melt the butter over low heat in a small 2-quart saucepan. Add the dry mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Cook for one minute.
5. Add the flour and stir until you have a paste. Cook this mixture while stirring until it bubbles and starts to appear sandy – approximately two minutes.
6. Gradually add the milk and stir continuously with a spatula until the mixture thickens and starts to bubble.
7. Add the white sauce to the soup, stirring until thick. Taste the soup and check for seasoning.   Adjust to taste with salt and pepper.
8. Put soup in small oven-proof soup bowls (i.e.: French Onion Soup bowls). Place the soup bowls on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
9. Add a slice of French bread (toasted) on top of each bowl of soup.
10. Cover the bread slices with shredded mozzarella cheese.
11. Bake at 350^oF until the cheese is melted and golden brown and the soup is bubbly (approximately 15 minutes). Serve hot and enjoy!

Here is your visual step-by-step in photographs on How to Make Gourmet Creamy Baked Tomato Soup:

LEARNING TIPS:  

Please CLICK the link above to access my Urb’n’Spice LEARNING TIPS, which are listed alphabetically on the Learning Tips blog post under the following subheadings:

• Butter
• Gluten-Free Flour Blends
• Kitchen Tools: The Simple Spatula
  __________

You Might Also Enjoy:

Tomato-Potato Soup with Roasted Garlic

Blenditarian Hamburger Soup

Cabbage Roll Soup

Cream of Fennel and Gruyere Soup with Sherry

If you try my recipe for Gourmet Creamy Baked Tomato Soup, please leave me a comment below with your feedback.

You can find me on social media (see links below) 

Did you Make my Recipe? 

Be sure to tag @urbnspice and #urbnspice so I am sure to see it. Enjoy! 

 

Denise Paré-Watson

The Urb’n’Spice Chef

 

Follow me on Social Media

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram