I adore tomato soup, and there is a restaurant in town that makes a super version. They call theirs Gouda Soup, and it is a tomato and roasted red pepper soup with Gouda cheese grated on top. I just had to figure out an acceptable recipe to make at home. Several tries, but I think I have it now.
Here are the main ingredients with one secret ingredient left out of the picture.
Start by chopping up onion and garlic, and sauté them in a bit of olive oil until soft.
Like my new knife? More about it in another post. Add the roasted peppers to a blender, without the water they came in. If you want more pepper taste, you could just dump it in. Add the onions and garlic. Add a teaspoon of lemon pepper. Blend well until it is a puree.
Place the crushed tomatoes in a non-reactive pan for cooking. This is vital, it cannot be metal or the soup will taste like metal. I use a corning pyrex dish that can take stove top prep on a smooth top stove. If you don’t have one of these, you can use an enamel wrapped pot like Calphalon, or a glass double boiler bottom. Just don’t use metal of any kind that will touch the soup. OK, dump your crushed tomatoes into the pan and begin to heat on medium-high.
Add the puree from the blender and a can of low sodium chicken broth. Stir and let come to a boil. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. I use low sodium projects, so sometimes need just a pinch. Turn down the heat and let it simmer for five minutes.
Now for the secret ingredient. Add one-fourth of a teaspoon of baking soda. It will neutralize some of the acidity and bring out the full tomato flavor. You could up that to a half-teaspoon if you need it to be even less acidic, but don’t do any more than that.
Ladle into bowls and add 1/4 cup of Gouda grated cheese.
OK, a generous quarter-cup!
Garnish if you like with some addition dried basil or parsley. Serve with crusty bread, or a grilled Provolone cheese sandwich. This recipe will make four bowls, or six to eight cups of soup, perfect as a lunch on a cold day with friends over to sew, or a light appetizer for a diner party.
Roasted Red Pepper – Tomato Soup with Grated Gouda
1/4 cup onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes with basil
1 7-oz jar roasted red peppers in water
1 15-oz can low sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup Gouda cheese grated, 1/4 c per serving.
Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until softened. Add to blender with peppers and lemon-pepper seasoning. Blend until pureed. Place crushed tomatoes in non-reactive pan, add puree and chicken broth, and stir to combine. Heat on medium heat until lightly boiling, then reduce heat to simmer for 5 minutes. Serve in bowls or cups with grated Gouda cheese and garnish as desired.
Serves four with a sandwich for lunch or dinner, or six to eight in cups as an appetizer.
Variations –
For thinner soup, puree the tomatoes as well.
For creamy soup, add 1/2 to one cup of cream or half-and-half.
Yum! Now you can have your quilting or sewing friends over for a sew in, and have lunch for them in just 15 minutes. Enjoy!!
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