Despite the fact that we didn’t have the best weather for gardening this summer, Larry continues to haul 5 gallon pails of tomatoes into the house with alarming regularity. Fortunately, I can always come up with new ways to use tomatoes. This soup is quick to put together, hearty, satisfying and pretty darned healthy. Not bad for some thing with “Bacon” in the title, eh?
Now, about the tomato sauce. I use my own homemade sauce, of course, [recipe for my tomato sauce is here] without reducing it at all, or using any tomato paste to thicken it as I might if I were making pasta sauce. If you don’t want to make your own, you can easily use sauce from the store, thinned out with some chicken or vegetable stock, or even use all tomato juice, which will probably be about the right consistency already. For store bought tomato sauce, I would use about a 4 parts sauce to one part stock ratio to thin it down. Everything else about this recipe is pretty straightforward and easy to do.
4 ounces sliced smoked bacon
2 cups sliced carrot
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
About 10 grinds black pepper
A pinch of dried pepper flakes
2 -3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
8 cups thin fresh or canned tomato sauce or tomato juice
1 cup half and half
In a large, heavy soup pot, cook the bacon, over low heat, until cooked through and crisp. Remove the bacon to a paper towel to drain.
There should be 3 to 4 tablespoons of drippings in the pan, once the bacon is removed – if it is more than that, take out any extra.
Add the carrots, celery and onion, salt and peppers to the pot, and sweat over medium low heat until very soft – about 10 minutes. Scrape all of the vegetables into a blender or food processor, along with 1 cup of the tomato sauce, and blend or process until very smooth. Take care when doing this, as hot foods can pop the lid off a blender. I take the center plug out of the lid, and hold a folded kitchen towel over the opening while blending, to prevent getting burned.
Return the pureed vegetables to the pot, and add the remaining tomato juice. Add the thyme springs, tied together with kitchen string, and the chopped oregano. If using dried oregano, 1 teaspoon will probably be enough. Add the half and half.
Simmer gently for about 10 minutes, to blend flavors. Remove the thyme. Serve with bacon crumbles sprinkled over each serving.
Then, get ready to make another batch, because this first one will be gone in no time at all!
This soup looks delicious. Anything with tomato and bacon can’t be bad so I’m off to buy both and try it. Thanks D.
Looks perfect for supper on a cool autumn evening. Wow….good for you to find ways to use all those tomatoes!
Mary – I hope it is everything you hope for! I made another batch already.
Thanks Jeanelle!
Looks delicious. The last of the salad tomatoes are gone, but I’m still roasting them for sauce… and soup, apparently :)
emiglia – I roasted my last batch just yesterday. We have a bowl of grape tomatoes left, but the rest are gone now. Lots in the freezer though!
You’re so lucky to have tomatoes from your garden – I will be missing all the fresh summer tomatoes. This soup sounds like a bowl of pure comfort.
Jeanette – I am missing them already. Seems like an awfully long time till next July when they will start coming ripe again.
Hi Donalyn,
I was literally just wondering to do with the last of my tomatoes and your post came through on StumbleUpon. Great timing!
The soup looks wonderful. I haven’t made this type before so it looks like I will be in the kitchen tomorrow making the tomato sauce first.
Creamy is the only way to make tomato soup. And then the bacon puts it right over the top!
There is nothing I love more than creamy tomato soup…other than maybe bacon!
Laura – I hope you like it – come back, if you have time, to tell us how it came out for you!
Curt – I tend to agree & it really doesn’t take very much cream to give you that luxurious taste and texture.
Feast – exactly, and that is how most great recipes are born, right?
The bacon makes this so fabulous!
Sounds delicious, but I would leave out the bacon for a meat free version.
Thanks Marla – hope you give it a try!
Mireya – even without the bacon, this would be rich and delicious. I hope if you try it, that you will come back to tell everyone how the vegetarian version came out!
Oh I LOVE this! Especially the bacon bit! ;)
LOL Kate – it’s all about the bacon!
I adore tomato and bacon sandwiches, so can imagine how good this soup must be. So comforting!
Oh my – doesn’t that look tasty?
A perfect recipe for warming up as the weather cools!
Tomatoes and bacon…what more does one need in life (except maybe a lemon tart). :D
Your soup looks delicious. How lucky to have so many tomatoes at your disposal!