Velvety Saffron tomato soup is in the history books as one of the classics. We didn’t invent this masterpiece but we have made it simple for you to create at home here. This light and velvety soup makes a great light lunch on it’s own or accompanied by a grilled cheese. It’s a crowd pleaser and kid friendly. With just a few ingredients you can have a healthy soup in no time. It’s great on the fringe seasons, such as in late summer when the garden has too many tomatoes to eat in salads! An old trick from restaurants is to save the “guts” of tomatoes after using the flesh for concassse. Making a big batch of guacamole, pico de gallo, or just some diced tomatoes? Have some tomatoes with blemishes and getting really ripe? Save the seeds for this soup. When we have too many tomatoes from the garden to eat before they turn we chop them and store in freezer bags so we can break off a few at a time for this type of occasion!
Saffron Tomato soup is an often forgotten childhood classic some think of as a relegated to a can that you just reheat. In this recipe you can taste the freshness and nourishment from real tomatoes. Tomatoes change a lot throughout the year and from type to type so what you’re working with may matter…..the acidity level and sugars change in the warmer months and become juicier and sweeter. The added touch of just a pinch of sugar helps to balance the acidity much like making a simple pasta sauce.
What’s the deal with Saffron?
Often Saffron is used in tandem with cream or cheese to get the velvety texture and balance of both worlds. The use of saffron obviously goes back centuries and has a kind of nostalgic, ritzy mystique in modern day cooking so you don’t see it as much. I like to think of the flavor as metallic and iodine, but in a good way. Even though it can be pricey a little goes a long way and it keeps for years if sealed in your pantry. All that being said if you don’t have any and don’t want to splurge no problem! The soup will still be fantastic without it, and you can substitute a pinch of turmeric in its place- turmeric is an old kitchen substitute for the flavor and similar color offered by saffron. Just be careful or it can overpower the delicate tomato goodness.
Looking for some additions that may spicen it up?
Things don’t just have to be velvety to make this soup zing! If looking for more than a simple broth conisder the following:
Consider Spice:
-chipotle chiles. I mean really, aren’t the good in just about anything? Chipotles and tomato are a classic combination that create beautiful flavor profiles. You can add to taste also with the canned in adobo variety. If using dried I would recommend to rehydrate before adding for a few minutes with hot water to soften.
-sriracha. We don’t need to go into great detail here, if you know you know.
Consider the broth:
-chicken stock or chicken bouillion. Chicken stock helps add depth and rounds out many styles of soups including this one. You may consider using some in the winter months when tomatoes aren’t in the prime. It can help with some of the acidity as well.
-the classic french technique would call for a lobster or shellfish broth, often simmered with cognac, bay leaves, celery, onion, and other aromatics. This is a favorite when turning this simple soup into a more complex bisque.
Consider the textures:
-croutons, toast, crostini. Talk about a good way to use up the end pieces of a loaf of bread! Don’t you always end up with the odd number of slices of bread and can’t make a full sandwich? Put the last piece in the toaster on low while you’re making the soup for a rustic toast that goes great in this soup- add at the end and its nice to eat while it soaks up the broth.
-bacon. Sometimes (actually almost never haha) when we have bacon leftover from breakfast, I save some to garnish soups, salads, and omelettes with broken bits. You don’t need much to impact the flavor.
-cheese! Of course we can’t forget about cheese. As much as we enjoy vegan soups, this one would be very one dimensional without the milk addition to the broth, and since we are already adding the dairy, some garnish takes it even higher on the charts. There are many that would work here but I like a firm semi-hard sheeps milk such as parmesan, or even a soft goats cheese. Stringy fresh cheeses such as mozzarella may taste good but be wary of a stringy mess!
Chef’s Tip:
For one last tip- if you’re tying to avoid gluten and want to leave out the flour- you can substitute with some cornstarch or even cornmeal. Just keep in mind that the roux will not work the same with cornstarch. You can, however cook cornmeal (preferably fine ground such as masa) with butter to make a moque-roux and it will perform similarly. Just remember the flavor profile will change slightly and the texture will be more grainy and less velvety. Cheers and good luck! Let us know how your saffron tomato soup turns out!
Velvety Saffron- Tomato Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds vine ripe tomatoes washed and rough chopped
- 2.5 cups whole milk
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp AP flour
- 1 piece shallot peeled and chopped
- 2 piece garlic cloves peeled and chopped
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 pinch saffron optional
- 1 pinch black pepper fresh cracked
- 1 tbsp sea salt
Instructions
- Start by making a roux over low heat in the sauce pan by heating the olive oil lightly and stirring in flour. Cook gently over low heat while stirring for several minutes.
- Remove the toasted roux into a small cup and reserve. Meanwhile add the shallots and garlic to the same pan and saute lightly. Then add the tomato and saute for about five minutes until soft and melted.
- Season the tomato with salt and pepper and sugar, then add the milk. Raise the heat to bring the milk to a low boil. Continue to cook for another five minutes then add the roux and cook more. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon
- When the roux is dissolved add the saffron and turn off heat. Use the immersion blender to puree everything. Pour into bowls and garnish with basil if desired, some grated cheese, or croutons!
