Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Silky Tomato Soup with Bacon - made easy with Pomi Tomatoes



Tomatoes are a fairly new addition to my diet.  It wasn't until I reached my 40's that I truly embraced the lycopene-rich fruits and even then it was a slow process.  The thought of eating a whole tomato and especially eating a tomato soup was not on my radar.  However!!  Whether it's a change in my taste buds or perhaps the fact that I've matured, tomatoes are now considered pretty darn good in my book.

My lack of tomato love has been difficult on my husband who adores the fruits and he has been more than thrilled that I've finally begun using them at home.  Tomato soup has been his favorite since I've known him and in years past, the poor guy has had to find his fill from icky cans and at restaurants... until now.

A recent offer from Pomi Tomatoes brought two 750g preservative-free, chemical-free, additive-free, and BPA-free boxes filled with nothing but tomatoes (grown without pesticides, herbicides or genetically modified seeds) to my doorstep straight from Italy.  Frankly, I'm loving the boxes that they are packaged in rather than the old fashioned cans, but my favorite part is the ingredient list:



With an Italian Idyllic vacation a few weeks in my future (my husband surprised me for our anniversary!), these boxes of Italian tomatoes were calling my name, and Fine Cooking's Weeknight Dinner edition from 2010 provided the ideal recipe.  Made easy with either Pomi's strained or chopped tomatoes this soup was a snap to put together and bursting with flavor.

Onions sauteed with a tablespoon of bacon fat are then mixed with spices and finally the tomatoes and chicken broth.  A dash of milk or cream gives the soup a silky finish and a topping of crumbled bacon brings a depth of flavor that brought sighs of happiness from my tomato soup deprived man.

The original recipe calls for cans of whole tomatoes, however, Pomi's strained tomatoes provide a silky smooth soup in a flash with the pure flavor of fresh tomato.  Thanks, Pomi, I have a very happy husband.




Silky Tomato Soup with Bacon
Printer Friendly  

4 slices of bacon
1 cup sweet onion, finely diced
sprinkle of salt
1 small clove garlic, pressed
1 Tbs all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp smoked paprika (I used a generous 1/2 tsp)
1 box Pomi strained tomatoes (chopped tomatoes work wonderfully too!)
1 cup low salt chicken broth
1 cup water
splash milk or cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the bacon in a skillet for about 5 minutes or until most of the fat has rendered and the bacon is done.  Transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate, blot and let cool, then crumble.  Save 1 Tbs of rendered fat.

Mix together the flour, thyme and smoked paprika in a small bowl and set aside.

Heat 1 Tbs rendered bacon fat in a medium sauce pan over medium heat and add the diced onions and a sprinkle of salt.  Cook, stirring often, until the onions soften and just start to brown.  Using a garlic press, press one clove of garlic into the onions and sautee about 30 seconds longer.  Add the spices (flour, thyme and smoked paprika) and cook, stirring for about 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes, broth and 1 cup of water and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally until the soup thickens and reduces slightly.  I cooked mine for 15-20 minutes.  Taste and adjust salt if necessary.

Ladle the hot soup into serving bowls and top with crumbled bacon and a sprinkle of freshly ground pepper.  (Note:  the soup reheats well the next day)

We served our soup with Pepper Jack Grilled Cheese Sandwiches on Sour Dough Bread.  Nice!




22 comments:

  1. I will have to keep my eye out for Pomi Tomatoes, they sound like a great product. And this soup sounds wonderful...I love bacon in almost anything!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I had a grilled ham and cheese sandwich yesterday (on sourdough) with a Tuscan tomato bisque! It was at BJ's Restaurant and it was super tasty! I'm so glad that you're now into tomatoes, Kim :-) Yay! Your photo is making me drool, even though I just had breakfast. I didn't know you were going to Italy. I'm so excited for you! That is so sweet of your hubby to surprise you like that!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love this...I am loving the soup. Tomato is one of my favorite...I will always go for the tomato soup in the winter time or even the summer time really. This is just calling my name and then when you put the bacon on top...just looks amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Tomatoes are a must in my diet .. I love love this fruit.
    This soup is looking so comforting.. i can enjoy tomato soup at any time of the day or year :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh I have never heard of Pomi tomatoes... I love tomato soup, but I always am lazy and buy the boxed one from Trader Joes. LOL- its so good! This one with bacon sounds sooooo good.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This looks like a fabulous fall meal - kind of like a bacon and tomato sandwich, but in soup form! :)
    I've never seen Pomi tomatoes before, but I'll have to see if they're available in Canada too - anything with a single-item ingredient list is definitely a plus in my books.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Such a great idea putting bacon in tomato soup!

    ReplyDelete
  8. You are very lucky to have gotten those wonderful tomatoes. The soup is gorgeous, and I love the addition of the bacon.

    ReplyDelete
  9. We just had tomato soup yesterday, but it was of the canned variety. This looks way better and with bacon? I bet it was delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Beautiful soup! I just love a good silky tomato soup, especially with a great grilled cheese sandwich on the side!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Sounds lush! I also love using some bacon fat to start a soup, nice tip :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. This soup look and sound heavenly, Kim! I love tomatoes. Enjoy your vacation for me too:))..(by the way what a great gift from your husband) :))

    ReplyDelete
  13. This looks so delicious! My husband goes through a lot of soup in the colder months (works outside) and this would be perfect for him.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Did you say bacon?? What a great addition to tomato soup.

    ReplyDelete
  15. As a child I never liked tomato soup but for some reason I can't get it out of my head lately! I have got to make some!!

    ReplyDelete
  16. YUM! There is nothing like a good tomato soup! ...and enjoy Italy - the food is amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Just mouthwatering...looks so easy to prepare and delicious.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Have to bookmark this for sure. My favorite tomato soup has almost a whole stick of butter in it...kind ruins the healthfulness aspect. but this looks delicious :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. This recipe sounds and looks amazing! I feel the need to not waste another second and make this tonight! Thanks for sharing :)

    ReplyDelete
  20. I love tomato soup, and this one sounds delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  21. I still can't eat a tomato raw - but I do love them in things. This soup looks great! Perfect for an afternoon lunch.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Isn't funny how our tastes mature? How lucky you were to get two full boxes of Pomi Tomatoes. I have always loved tomatoes, and they used are a favorite breakfast of mine, sliced, on toast, with a little salt and pepper - yum! This soup looks so yummy. It is hot and humid here but I want your soup. I'll just have to up the AC and pretend it is fall in the islands.

    ReplyDelete

Your comments make our hearts sing!