Whereas this isn’t the Smitten Kitchen’s solely tomato soup — there’s one with roasted summer season tomatoes capped with an open-faced grilled cheese sandwich within the archives, and additional again, a traditional cream of tomato soup tailored from Cook dinner’s Illustrated — neither are this: a seasonless tomato soup I could make on any wet day, together with the nonnegotaible grilled cheese sandwiches, in underneath an hour. Each of the archived recipes have their charms; the primary is nice when tomatoes are at their peak. The second is superb however fussy, extra ultimate for whenever you’ve received the time or persistence to indicate off. However this has eclipsed each within the rotation for the final couple winters, and some issues make it excellent for us:

– Sure, grocery retailer tomatoes: If you happen to, like me, purchase cherry or grape tomatoes way more usually than you employ them up, this soup is for you. No, I don’t imply wonderful, peak-season cherry tomatoes from a backyard or farm stand on a sizzling summer season day; save these for snacking or a salad. I actually imply even the extremely mediocre ones you may discover on sale at a series retailer within the useless of winter. This soup makes the argument that even bland, low season cherry and grape tomatoes will present extra taste and nuance than canned tomatoes and the proof can be within the bowl. And sweetness! Cream of tomato soup recipes add a little bit sugar, however I discover that storebought grape tomatoes present sufficient with out it.

– A easy base: Every part else is about merely layering in taste — onions cooked in butter till candy and flippantly browned on the edges, garlic, pepper flakes to style, a splash of sherry if that’s your factor, tomato paste, and any type of broth you wish to use, vegetable or hen. It simmers for quarter-hour (that is whenever you make the grilled cheese sandwiches) and blends easy.

– Cream-optional: This was supposed to be a cream of tomato soup, and you may, if you happen to’d like, add cream on the finish to style. However the texture is so velvety and easy from the tomato and candy onions, you may discover you don’t want or need it in any respect.

– Riffable: This isn’t simply my new weeknight tomato soup, it’s a basis I’ve used for lots of tweaked leftovers. Generally, I’ll add cooked lentils (Dealer Joe’s stay my fridge staple), however even some tortellini, and a handful of spinach wilted in, plus a little bit parmesan on high work properly too. And it really works as properly with the French onion soup-style grilled cheese on high because the roasted tomato soup does.

Podcast! My new podcast with J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, The Recipe with Kenji and Deb, launched this previous week and our first episode is all about Stovetop Mac-and-Cheese! You possibly can take heed to it wherever you get your podcasts and I’ve arrange a brand new podcast tab/web page the place you possibly can sustain on it right here, too. We can have new episodes each two Mondays and this tomato soup will characteristic prominently in Episode 4! We’ve been engaged on this behind the scenes for the final 12 months — I hope you get pleasure from listening alongside.

Beforehand

6 months in the past: Raspberry Streusel Muffins
1 12 months in the past: Simple Freezer Waffles
2 years in the past: Fortress Breakfast
3 12 months in the past: Rigatoni alla Vodka
4 12 months in the past: Excellent Vegetable Lasagna
5 12 months in the past: Bodega-Model Egg and Cheese Sandwich and Chocolate Puddle Muffins
6 years in the past: Sluggish-Roasted Candy Potatoes and Korean-Braised Brief Ribs
7 years in the past: Small-Batch Tiramisu
8 years in the past: Miso Black Sesame Caramel Corn and Sizzling and Bitter Soup
9 years in the past: Oven-Braised Beef with Tomatoes and Garlic and Pecan Sticky Buns
10 years in the past: Chocolate Hazelnut Linzer Hearts and Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake
11 years in the past: Italian Stuffed Cabbage
12 years in the past: Lasagna Bolognese
13 years in the past: Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake
14 years in the past: Finest Cocoa Brownies and Chana Masala
15 years in the past: Chocolate Whiskey and Beer Cupcakes and Crispy Black Bean Tacos with Feta and Slaw
16 years in the past: Seven-Yolk Pasta Dough and Finest Chocolate Pudding
17 years in the past: For Beaming, Bewitching Breads