Roasted Tomato + Grilled Corn Soup
August 22, 2011 As you saw yesterday, we had quite the adventurous weekend. And it didn’t stop there. Chris and I headed to Wyoming today, to check out Sierra Trading Post [the store!] and Vedauwoo [climbing/bouldering/hiking area]. But more on that, tomorrow.
Time to talk about food. One of my favorite pastimes.
Like I mentioned last week, tomatoes are finally in season around here. This of course means I was a bit over zealous at the first tomato spotting, and picked up a few too many.
But really. Can you have too many tomatoes?
At some point last year, I set out to start making my own soup recipes. I never really fully committed + only ended up with 1-2 original recipes. However, now that the temps are slowly starting to drop, I’m hoping to start back up with my grand soup making plans.
I’ve never made a tomato soup. My recipe or anyone else’s. So I figure, for my first tomato soup, why don’t I just make it up?
I wanted the soup to be seasonal.
Comforting, but summery. Flavorful, but simple.
Pretty! Yes, I wanted this soup to be pretty.
And maybe it wouldn’t be just tomato soup.
Maybe it would be roasted tomato + grilled corn soup.
This soup took a bit of work. But don’t worry, on my end, not yours.
I started with a set of ingredients, but had to add + add + add. Lucky for you I measured + took notes. Actually, I didn’t take notes. For some reason, I can remember recipe ingredients + amounts as I add them, and then plunk them into the computer hours later. Remember taco night? Three recipes? Nothing was written down.
However, my memory only goes so far. Pretty much any day of the week, I can’t remember what I did 3 days before + don’t know where my keys are. Details…
So, after adding a little of this + that, I felt the soup was finally done. Chris agreed!
The texture + flavors came out just as I had hoped.
Thick, but not creamy.
Savory, but fresh.
Lovely on it’s own, or with a kick of protein.
Grilled tofu, provided the perfect chew + crunch to this soup. Roasted chickpeas, would have also been a fabulous alternative.
Roasted Tomato + Grilled Corn Soup [serves 4-6]
- ~6 med. tomatoes [2c after roasting]
- 2 lg. ears of corn
- 2t sunflower oil
- s+p
- 2T garlic, minced
- 2 med. yellow onions, chopped
- 3T tomato paste
- 4c low sodium veggie broth
- 1-1.5t salt
- 2T fresh basil, chopped
- 2t fresh thyme, chopped
- 1/2t smoked paprika
- black pepper [a lot!]
- 1/2T sucanat [or pure cane sugar]
Tofu
- 1 block extra firm tofu
- s+p
- 1/8t garlic powder
- Cut + press tofu, if adding to the soup.
- Preheat grill to 400* med-high.
- Wash, halve + de-stem tomatoes and place on a greased baking sheet.
- Sprinkle with salt + pepper.
- Place pan on the grill [or in the oven – might take a bit longer] for about 25min, flipping once.
- Shuck the corn completely and lightly grease with oil and sprinkle with salt + pepper.
- In a large pot, combine veggie broth, onions, garlic, tomato paste, basil, thyme, smoked paprika, sucanat, black pepper + salt.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat, cover + reduce heat to simmer.
- Grill corn for 9-12min, turning 3-4x.
- Carefully, cut corn kernels off of the cob. Hold the cob vertically and slice in a downward motion.
- Add tomatoes + juices [~2c] to the pot and 3/4 of the corn.
- Cover + return to simmer for 20min.
- Turn off the heat + using an immersion/hand blender, blend until fairly smooth. [no onion pieces or tomato skin, but texture will not be 100% smooth]
- Turn the heat back on to med-low, add in the remaining 1/4 of the corn, cover + simmer for 10-15min. *If cooking tofu: Grease your grill grates, sprinkle the tofu with salt, pepper + garlic powder. Grill for 6-8min per side, until charred.
- Taste + add more salt/pepper as needed. If it’s too acidic add 1t more sucanat.
- Pour into bowls + top with tofu.
*Make sure you are using flavorful, ripe tomatoes. Nothing worse than watery tomato soup!
*If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can whirl this in your blender, if it’s able to run with hot liquid inside. Be careful!
*If you don’t have smoked paprika, I highly recommend adding it to your collection of spices. I use it all the time and the 1/2t is definitely an important addition to the soup.
*If you’re not using low sodium veggie broth, do not add salt until at least half way through cooking. Taste and add 1/4t at a time.
I love creating.
And sharing.
And not forgetting ingredient lists!
This soup is going to make my Monday just a wee bit better.
Ashley
Reader Comments (45)
I avoid tomatoes at all costs...but I MUST HAVE this soup.
Ashley this looks soooo good! I love tomatoes, in a huge huge way.
Nordstrom makes tomato soup in their in-store cafes and it's absolutely stellar. Just looking at your pics, reminds me of the Nordstrom tomato soup. You have to try it and see how close it is. I bet..very!
And the tofu looks perfect, too :)
I love tomato soup....roasted tomato soup just takes it to a whole new level. Yum!!! :-)
holy yum - i want this for lunch!
Adding tofu is such a good idea! This looks great :)
Wow this is so interesting Ashley! (In a good way!!) I wouldn't have thought to add in the tofu but it looks delicious. Like you, I love creating different soups. I've never been a big cold soups girl but recently I made a sweet corn and avocado gazpacho... SO good! I think I need to try your roasted tomatos technique next!
I love how roasted veggies look and taste - the char on the skin is the best part! I'm not a huge tomato soup person but I definitely don't think you'd have to twist my arm to eat this!
Yum! I love the addition of the grilled tofu, mm mmm! :D
I love the pictures! This looks so incredible and perfectly summery. I've never eaten a yellow tomato, they look good though!
This looks fabulous! Such a great way to hilight summer flavors :) xo
Oh wow I wish I had this for lunch today! With a huge hunk of fresh bread too. Mmm. Come make it for me please? ;)
Tomato soup/gazpacho is my absolute favorite. I love the addition of roasted corn. I have half a bag of TJ's roasted corn in the freezer. It may be destined for this :)
This looks AMAZING! I saw an awesome tamale pie recipe from Eat Live Run and I was trying to think of a good side dish. This looks like it would be perfect!
I love your new header!!
Wowwww I love the looks of this, the presentation, and the recipe!!
This looks really delicious! And beautiful (always a plus!). I've always been a big fan of homemade tomato soups, but always forget to make them.
For some reason, this post makes me kind of sad. By this time last year, I would be enjoying my usual bounty of tomatoes from the garden but this year it seems that they just don't want to grow. :( But it won't stop me from trying to make my tomatoes grow as fast as is humanly possible before the first frost hits and then turn them into soup and sun-dried tomatoes, yum! :-D
Aw, how strange!! I'm sorry your maters aren't growing! Hope they hurry up!!
Thanks Laura!! Tomato soup is one of my favs, so it's about time I made one!
Thanks so much Ellie!
Thanks Katie!
If you make it, enjoy!! The tamale pie looks so good!!
I still have yet to try gazpacho!
i.so.wish.i.could.
They're hit or miss...these were pretty good though! :)
The texture was perfect in the soup!
I"m a fan of the char as well. :)
I still have yet to try gazpacho...kind of insane!
Tomato soup is my all time favorite. I am going to bookmark this recipe. Considering it is 107 here today...there is no way I can eat soup. But in a few months (hopefully) it will be back in regular rotation.
Your soup looks delicious! Tomato soup has always been a favorite of mine, but I've never tried making it. I'll definitely be trying this as soon as my tomato plant decides to start making tomatoes.
Funny thing about the Nordstrom soup. The last time I had it, I didn't know it was made with chicken broth. I ate it in the store and then wanted to buy a jar but checked the ingredient list first. It was the first time I had eaten a meat product since going veg, and I was not excited about it. I will never forget that soup! haha
You'll have to let me know what you think! Hurry up plant!
oh.my.word!!!!!!!!!! HOT!
So pretty! I love the tofu "crouton" idea!
The most protein packed croutons you will ever find!! I think you would have enjoyed. Another vegan recipe, without even trying. :)
Love all the beautiful tomato pictures - and the full flavors from roasting the tomato and grilling the corn for this soup are awesome!
I love the idea of tofu in soup and roasted tomatoes are seriously the most incredible thing about august!
Thanks Kate!! It was even better than I was hoping for!
Thanks so much Jeanette!
love this soup! Pretty pics too. hope u submit to http://www.FindingVegan.com !! ~kathy
Thanks for your comment Kathy! I will definitely submit!
Oh man I wish I had seen this recipe a couple of weeks ago when I had tons of tomatoes from my CSA and didn't know what to do with them!
I'm overwhelmed at the amount of tomatoes currently sitting in my fruit bowl, and right when I thought I didn't know what to do with them, an idea came to mind. Your roasted tomato and corn soup, of course! Except sadly corn has left the "in season" premeces and none is to be found. Can I use frozen and if so how much? Probably 2 cups?
Thanks for creating such amazing recipes; you are an inspiration to us ALL! :)
Frozen will work fine! I would say 1.5-2c would be great. You are so welcome. I hope you love the soup!