I love coming home with friends from a steamy day at the beach knowing that I've got a batch of cold tomato soup ready. I dish it up, swirl in a tablespoon of vibrant green arugula pesto, and pass it around. We sit on the porch and savor the flavor of sun-sweetened summer tomatoes enhanced with a touch of cream and a nip of vodka. The rest of dinner will come later, but for now, we're assuaging our hunger, chatting, laughing, and reliving the events of the day.
This is a great make-ahead soup. In fact, it becomes more flavorful with age. Although I like it cold, it's equally good heated. If storm clouds gather and the temperature plunges, take the soup from refrigerator to stove, heat it up, and serve it in mugs.
Ingredients
Serves 8 to 10
Soup
Arugula Pesto
To Make the Soup:
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Set the cored tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and roast them until they look wrinkly, about 30 minutes; set aside. While the tomatoes cool, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small sauté pan. Add the shallots and 2 cloves chopped garlic and sauté over medium-low heat until they turn golden brown and caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes; set aside.
Step 2
When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, peel off the skins, which should slip off easily. Put the peeled tomatoes in the jar of a blender along with the sautéed shallots and garlic, crushed tomatoes (with juice), 1 tablespoon salt, and sugar. Process until the soup is smooth. Stir in the cream and vodka, if desired. Refrigerate in a covered bowl for at least 6 hours, or preferably overnight.
To Make the Pesto:
Step 3
Toast the pine nuts, stirring occasionally, in a skillet set on medium heat until they turn golden brown, about 4 minutes. Combine the arugula, pine nuts, 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and lemon juice in the jar of a blender or the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, then slowly add in the olive oil through the feed tube and process. Transfer the pesto to a bowl and stir in the Parmesan.
To Serve:
Step 4
Ladle the chilled soup into individual serving bowls, and swirl 1 tablespoon of pesto into each.
Do it early
Step 5
The soup can be made up to 4 days in advance and refrigerated. Ditto for the pesto. Both should be well covered. Arugula pesto does not brown when exposed to oxygen as does its more common cousin, basil pesto.
Variation
Step 6
The more traditional-minded may prefer a basil pesto. Also, you can eliminate the cream and top the soup with a dollop of crème fraîche or Greek-style yogurt and a drizzle of pesto.
How would you rate Farmstand Tomato Soup with Arugula Pesto?
Leave a Review
Reviews (34)
Back to TopI was looking for a nice chilled tomato soup for a dinner party. I cooked several different ones. I prefer the one that did not cook the tomatoes before hand. It was brighter and tasty. This soup is very mellow because of cooking the ingredients before-which I think lends it to be criticized for tasting like cold regular soup. You might add some sherry vinegar instead of vodka. It's a matter of taste, for sure.
jmcivor1
8/19/2015
What a fabulous recipe, I left out the vodka and use only used 1/8 cup half/half. The family loves it can wait to have with a grill cheese sandwich. Comfort food recipe. Garden tomatoes is the key!!!!
Agirlct
Connecticut
8/31/2014
We got some excellent tomatoes at the local produce stand so I decided to make this soup. I left the cream out as one of the versions suggested. I also left out the vodka and sugar and instead added some port wine for sweetness. The soup was very good but the arugula pesto really made the meal. I topped the soup with the pesto and some crema Mexicana. A very nice warm summer dinner.
beekayy
Lodi, California
7/6/2014
I've never cared for canned tomato soup because it always tasted tinny and insipid. This tomato soup had a real depth of flavor. This recipe is a keeper!
reginamuso
Edison, NJ
1/20/2014
I made the pesto and served it with canned tomato soup. It was very yummy! My husband loved it, and he doesn't usually like tomato soup.
Anonymous
Jersey City, NJ
1/2/2013
This tasted like lightly seasoned tomato sauce from a can. Not interesting and unfortunately, not something I'd make again.
wtidmarsh
10/16/2012
Disappointing recipe. Good ingredients were used but it tasted like a deconstructed tomato sauce. Did not use cream or vodka.
Anonymous
portland, me
9/21/2012
Not the worst tomato soup, but not the best. I agree with other reviewers that it was a bit too salty. I halved the recipe and it was more than enough for a dinner. The pesto is nice, and you don't even need to add the cheese.
tastysausagerecipe
Brooklyn, NY
7/11/2012
Loved this!! I served it hot with toasted bread that I brushed with olive oil and broiled with a bit of mozzarella. Easy on the lemon juice, I felt one tablespoon was a bit too much lemon. But I did use the vodka!!
Jules555
Los Angeles
5/1/2012
This is our new favorite tomato soup recipe. I've found there are really only two kinds of tomato soups: healthier, dairy-free ones that basically taste like eating pasta sauce and very unhealthy ones drenched in cream, cheese and/or butter. This is neither! Didn't bother to core the tomatoes and didn't scoop out all the seeds (I think they're the yummiest part). Just cut the tops off the tomatoes and scooped the juciest bits so they wouldn't be swimming in the oven. Covered pan with olive oil and roasted the tomatoes cut-side-down. Used 1/2 and 1/2 instead of cream. We couldn't even wait for it to cool it smelled so good. I'll be interested to see how it is for lunch 1.5 days later. Since it's winter i'll probably heat it up. Didn't do the pesto, but i've never met a pesto i didn't like.
taynafay
nyc
12/15/2011
This is a great tomato soup recipe, but I prefer it hot and have now made it four times in the past 2 months. I've also made this pesto and put in pretty jars to give to friends as gifts. I saved some calories and took out the cream, but obviously cream can only make this delicious soup better.
Anonymous
San Diego
11/22/2011
I come from a long-line of foodies, and I have made this several times. It is consistently a favorite. I also omit the cream, it doesn't need it. This is also my go-to for pesto as well. I've made large batches of the pesto and given to friends in pretty jars, a really unique and colorful host/hostess gift. So good, I absolutely recommend making this recipe.
Anonymous
San Diego, CA
11/22/2011
My husband raved about it and bragged about it to a friend. We had it hot the first night and leftovers cold the next day; it was great both ways although possibly better cold (as intended).
Anonymous
Asheville, NC
10/16/2011
I forgot to add that I also used a lump of goat cheese to give it some creaminess (instead of the cream).
juliunruly
10/10/2011
really tasty. I omitted the cream because I knew I'd be making this to accompany grilled cheese. Also used regular basil pesto. oh, and I ate it hot, not cold. So, a few changes :) But this was super delicious and I'll be eating it for a few days. Highly recommended.
juliunruly
10/10/2011
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