Best Tomato Basil Alphabet Soup Recipes

TOMATO ALPHABET SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy pot over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until onions are softened, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in carrot and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 10 minutes.
• While the vegetables cook, strain the tomatoes over a bowl, separating the juice from the whole tomatoes, then squeeze the tomatoes over the liquid. Add the squeezed tomatoes and the tomato paste to the pot and cook, stirring frequently, until tomatoes start to caramelize, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to packing instructions. Reserve 1 cup of cooking liquid, strain, then return pasta to the pasta pot and gently stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter; season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Add the tomato juices from the bowl and 2 cups water to the soup pot, stirring to scrape up any caramelized bits. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, partly covered, until the vegetables are very tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Using an immersion or countertop blender, pureé the soup until very smooth. (If using a countertop blender, blend in batches with a kitchen towel over the lid of the blender.) Stir in pasta water as needed to thin soup to desired consistency. Stir in buttered alphabets and adjust seasoning. Divide among soup bowls.

ROASTED TOMATO BASIL SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss together the tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread the tomatoes in 1 layer on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes.
• In an 8-quart stockpot over medium heat, saute the onions and garlic with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the butter, and red pepper flakes for 10 minutes, until the onions start to brown. Add the canned tomatoes, basil, thyme, and chicken stock. Add the oven-roasted tomatoes, including the liquid on the baking sheet. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Pass through a food mill fitted with the coarsest blade. Taste for seasonings. Serve hot or cold.

TOMATO BASIL SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large pot over medium-low heat; cook and stir onion, carrots, celery, and garlic until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in both amounts of tomato sauce, chicken broth, basil, and oregano. Increase heat to medium and simmer until soup is reduced, 10 to 20 minutes.
• Pour soup into a blender no more than half full. Cover and hold lid down; pulse a few times before leaving on to blend. Add cream. Continue to puree in batches until smooth, transferring creamy soup to another pot.
• Heat soup over medium-high heat until hot, about 5 minutes more.

SPICED TOMATO ABCS

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the carrots, onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, harissa, paprika, pepper flakes, a good pinch of salt and a few turns of black pepper and cook until it's all dreamy and smelly, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, then the chopped tomatoes and sugar. Reduce the heat to low, then stir in the pasta and stock. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
• Sprinkle bowls of soup with black pepper, drizzle with olive oil and top with the feta and herbs.