BACKYARD BOUNTY – TOMATO BASIL SOUP FROM BACKYARD TOMATOES

i love growing Tomatoes and contrary to the rule of thumb that you only need one plant per person in the household, I like to have many more.  First of all, I like variety and second of all, not all plants will produce as they should.  This year I planted 6 Tomato Plants and have two left over from last year.  Unfortunately, the ones from last year are not producing too well.  Probably because they are not in full sun – we only have so much garden space that will get sun.

 

 

 

Even though my larger Beefsteak type Tomatoes produce more and larger fruit, my favorites this year are the Green Zebra and the Lucky Tiger.  I don’t think my Lucky Tigers are growing to the size that they should but they are fun – they are shaped like the Romas, but thinner and are green with orange/red stripes that are supposed to be dark purple according to the tag that was on the plant when I bought it.  In spite of that, I still love the tomatoes.  They are fun to grow and delicious to eat.  They have a slightly tangy taste to them in contrast to the red tomatoes which are very sweet.

 

All this being said, what do you do with Tomatoes when you have an abundance of them? You can only make some many salads and eat so much salsa.  In past years I have made Chili Sauce and will probably do that again this year if the plants keep producing like they have.  For this batch though, I decided to make a Tomato Basil Soup.  This is a tasty soup that can be eaten hot, warm or cold so it is perfect for summer or any time of year.  The recipe actually calls for Roma Tomatoes, but not having Roma Tomatoes, I just used what I have growing and that is mostly red round tomatoes.  Even though I put the tags that came with the plants in front of the plants, they somehow get lost or covered up so except for a couple of the plants, I’m not really sure what kind they are.  Just round, red, sweet and delicious!

 

The Soup can be served as a first course or as a Vegetable Dish along with a meal – that is what I did last night.  We had Meat Loaf, Baked Potatoes and the Tomato Basil Soup which I actually served first, but we had seconds along with the meal.  I serve this soup in small bowls but it can be served in larger ones. Another way I like to serve it is in demitasse as a ‘stand-up appetizer’ for company meals.

 

The recipe calls for 2 lbs. of Tomatoes, 1/2 cup of diced Onion, Chicken Stock (I had Beet Water leftover from cooking Beets so I used that instead thereby making the soup good for the Vegan or Vegetarian Crowd.  Of course you also need Basil which I also have growing in the yard.  I used the Italian Sweet Basil for the Soup and Purple Basil for the Garnish along with the Lucky Tiger Tomatoes.

 

 

 

 

After the Tomatoes are washed and cored, chop, quarter or dice them.  (It doesn’t really matter too much as they are going to be pureed after cooking)

 

 

 

Saute the diced Onions in 2 Tbsps. of Olive Oil until they are soft – from the photo below, you will notice that mine are slightly caramelized.  This add additional flavor as long as you don’t let them burn.  If they do burn, discard and start over – the burn taste will ruin the soup.

 

 

Once the Onions are sufficiently cooked, add the prepared Tomatoes and Basil and cook until the Tomatoes release their water.  Mix as they cook.  When the tomatoes are sufficiently cooked, transfer to a food processor fitted with the metal blade.  If you don’t have a food processor, use a blender or a food mill.

 

 

Run the processor or blender until the Tomatoes are completely pureed and then return to the pot.  Add the remaining seasonings -taste and add additional salt or Vinegar, if so desired.

 

Serve Hot with tiny Meatballs or at Room Temperature or Cold as an Appetizer.  Garnish with additional Basil and diced Tomatoes, if desired.  I used the Purple Basil and Lucky Tiger Tomatoes which only need to be sliced vertically down the middle.  For additional zest add a splash of  your favorite style ‘Old Boney Mountain Hot Sauce’.