Tomato Soup

There are many versions of tomato soup – some people just add tomato puree or a tin of tomatoes to rosół, (chicken bullion). For many this was standard practice on Monday with any that was left over from Sunday lunch and also in winter months in the past when fresh tomatoes were not so readily available.

I prefer to make a more refreshing fresh tomato soup.

Ripe tomatoes make the best soup – if you are lucky enough to have your own from the garden or allotment then these will be great or look out for ripe tomatoes on a market rather than the hard bullet ones often sold for salads.

Little note from the Metro newspaper

My mother always served boiled rice as the soup accompaniment.

Many years ago, well before Poland joined the European Union, when there were not as many Poles living in England, one of my English friends went for dinner at at a Polish lady’s house.  On telling me about the lovely food she said ” …. we had tomato soup with rice in it!” My instant reply without thinking was “but tomato soup always has rice in it”.   

Ingredients

• 700g – 800g of ripe fresh tomatoes
• 1 large or 2 medium onions
• 1.5 litres of vegetable stock – came be from a cube or powder
• Salt & ground pepper to taste
• A little granulated sugar – optional – might not be needed.
• Boiled rice to serve

Method

• Pour boiling water over the tomatoes in a bowl and leave to cool.
• Skin the tomatoes.
• Chop the tomatoes into quarter.
• Chop the onion into fine pieces.
• Place the tomatoes, onion and vegetable stock into a large saucepan.
• Bring to the boil and then put on the lid and simmer for at least 30 minutes.
• You want the tomatoes and onions to have cooked away into the liquid -no large pieces left.
• Season to taste.

Although sour soups are popular in Poland – tomato soup does not want to be sour.  Depending on the tomatoes used, I sometimes add a little granulated sugar.

• To serve place a handful of cooked boiled rice into each soup plate.

Served here in my mother’s Crown Devon – Fieldings – Glenwood soup plates – made in England – 1939.