Spiderweb Soup (Tomato Soup)

Helga Glaesel de BlandingOctober 13, 2013

This post is also available in / Esta entrada también está disponible en ESPAÑOL (SPANISH)

It’s time for us to post recipes for Halloween. I can’t believe a year has gone by already! This year I want to try more practical and easy to make recipes, both sweet and savory. Hopefully, I’ll have time to try out a couple of recipes to post before Halloween is upon us. This recipe is just homemade tomato soup, with a cream spiral on top to form a spiderweb. (To make this practical, just use the cream spiderweb idea on canned tomato soup for your kids… I’ll look the other way). This is the second time I try a homemade tomato recipe, because I have to admit that I like the taste of the commercial tomato soup we get from a packet or a can at the supermarket. It’s what I always had since I was a kid, and the flavor of a particular brand is what I want when I think about tomato soup. And I know I’m not alone.

Nonetheless, I still wanted to give homemade tomato soup another shot. I am very happy with the flavor of this recipe. I’m a little embarrassed to say so, but… I love that it tastes like the commercial brand, only better. Plus, I know it’s all natural because I made it at home. My daughter loved it, and so did my husband. I was asked to make it again. So you can trust me on this, if you’re looking for a homemade tomato soup, this is the recipe to try. The only thing I changed, is that I used chicken stock instead of vegetable stock. The original recipe added ½ cup of cream to the soup, apart from the cream used to make the spiral. When I tasted the soup, it seemed “creamy” enough, so I didn’t add the cream, but it’s entirely up to you. Also, I need to strain soups. I like the smooth texture, and even though the original recipe didn’t mention any straining, I needed to do it. (I have childhood issues with lumps in food).

Helga

Spiderweb Soup: Tomato and Roasted Red Bell Pepper Soup

Adapted from Elm Hurst Inn Dining
Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 large red peppers, halved, deseeded & chopped rough
1 small Spanish onion, chopped rough
1 small carrot, chopped rough
1 celery stick, chopped rough
18 oz plum tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 ½ cups chicken stock
2 tsp. Sugar, optional
2 tbsp. Tomato paste
Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 oz. Fresh basil chopped
Cream, for spiderweb garnish

Procedure:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Place peppers, onion, carrot, celery, garlic and tomatoes on baking tray. Mix with olive oil. Bake for ½ hour or until vegetables are roasted & tender. Blend in tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes longer.
Remove vegetables from baking sheet, transfer to a stainless steel pot. Add chicken stock, simmer for 35 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Taste for seasoning using salt & ground black pepper and sugar if needed. (use a pinch of sugar, just to balance the acidity of the tomatoes)
Add basil and puree using a blender until smooth. (Don’t forget to wait for the liquid and vegetables to cool down before blending, or you’ll have soup on your ceiling!)

To make the spiderweb:

Place about ¼ cup of cream in a sandwich bag.
Cut a very small opening in one of the corners of the bag. Twist the top
Make a spiral on your soup.
Using a toothpick, start from the center and make a line going outward. Repeat to form the spiderweb.