Heirloom Tomato Soup

When heirloom tomatoes are at their fleeting summer peak — heavy, fragrant, impossibly sweet — the kindest thing a cook can do is get out of their way. This soup is an exercise in restraint: peeled heirlooms, a whisper of elephant garlic, a reduction of sherry to deepen without distracting, and just enough half-and-half to turn it silky. It tastes purely, gloriously of tomato at its best.

Peeling the Heirlooms

A soup this refined starts with skinned tomatoes. Score a small notch at each stem, submerge the heirlooms in boiling water for a few seconds until the skins loosen, then lift them into a colander and slip the peels away. Chopped and added to the pot, the peeled flesh breaks down into a smooth, clean base with none of the tough skin or bitterness that would otherwise mar such a delicate soup. It's a small step that makes all the difference in elegance.

Sherry for Depth

The one ingredient that lifts this above a plain tomato soup is dry sherry. Poured in after the onion, garlic, and fresh tomatoes have softened, it's simmered until it reduces dramatically — concentrating its nutty depth and drawing out the tomatoes' savory side. Crushed tomatoes and stock round out the body, a low simmer melds everything, and an immersion blender blends it velvety-smooth before a final swirl of half-and-half stabilizes the soup and gives it a luxurious mouthfeel.

Jorj Morgan

Heirloom Tomato Soup

A in acid-driven vegetable reduction and blending. This soup features the delicate profile of elephant garlic and the concentrated sugars of hand-peeled heirloom tomatoes, finished with a stable fat infusion of half and half.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

The Tomato Foundation

• 2 pounds heirloom tomatoes approximately 6 large
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper

The Aromatic Base

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium red onion diced
• 3 cloves elephant garlic thinly sliced
• 1 cup dry Sherry
• 1 quart vegetable stock
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

The Final

• 1/2 cup half and half

Method

 

The Tomato Preparation

1. Prepare the fresh heirloom tomatoes by slicing a crosswise notch at the stem and submerging them in boiling water for several seconds.
2. Transfer immediately to a colander to peel the skins, then chop the flesh into uniform chunks.

The Aromatic Reduction

1. Heat the olive oil in a deep soup pot over medium heat. Sauté the red onion until the cell walls soften, approximately 5 minutes.
2. Introduce the sliced elephant garlic and fresh heirloom tomato chunks, cooking for an additional 5 minutes to initiate breakdown.
3. Pour in the dry Sherry and simmer until the liquid has significantly reduced, concentrating the flavor profile.

The Simmer and Integration

1. Add the crushed tomatoes and vegetable stock. Season with salt, pepper, and dried thyme.
2. Reduce the heat to low and allow the soup to simmer for 20 minutes, facilitating deep flavor integration.

Blending Smooth

1. Using a professional immersion blender, blend until the soup achieves a smooth, velvety texture.
2. (If using a stand blender, ensure the liquid is cooled significantly to prevent expansion accidents).

The Cream Finish

1. Stir in the half and half to stabilize the blend and add a luxurious mouthfeel.
2. Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt or pepper as required for a balanced profile. Serve immediately.