Parmesan Basil Tomato Soup (Slow Cooker) Recipe | Little Spice Jar (2024)

FAQs

How to spice up tomato soup? ›

Swirl some red wine vinegar into the soup and serve with a stack of mozzarella and fresh basil leaves on a toasted baguette. Add a drizzle of pesto (homemade or store bought) and finish with toasted pine nuts and croutons. Add a teaspoon or two of Thai red curry paste and some cooked rice, then top with cooked shrimp.

You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute. For the best results, never add flour or cornstarch directly to your soup. If you do, it will clump up on top. Instead, ladle a small amount of broth into a separate bowl and let it cool.

Tomatoes have a high water content, and the addition of broth and cold water can lead to a thin tomato soup, especially when you're making the dish in a slow cooker. Here are a few tips that will help you prevent a watery tomato soup: Drain the liquid from canned tomatoes.

While both are delicious, they are quite different, especially when it comes to the texture. Tomato bisque is thicker and creamier in texture, and calls for the use of milk and/or cream.

"Use fresh or dried basil in tomato-based recipes or fresh parsley to add freshness to clear broth soups," says Sofia Norton, RD. You can also go with more heat and spices. "Ground paprika, turmeric, nutmeg, ground ginger, and other powdered spices add a touch of color and spiciness to broths," she says.

Rosemary and thyme, chives and parsley, even a zippy cheese such as feta can level up your tomato soup. Don't forget the cream. Add in coconut milk, heavy cream, or butter to give your tomato soup a silky texture. We're talking richness that tastes decadent without being overindulgent.

This tip comes from food science. Add a small spoonful of sugar to enhance the natural sweetness of the tomatoes. Season with salt in all of the steps (starting with the sauteed onions). This ensures your tomato soup is never bland.

When you add baking soda to tomato soup (or sauce, or chili), it neutralizes the acid in the tomatoes. Not only will this make the tomatoes taste less acidic (good news if your tomatoes turned out more sour than you expected), but it also means that you can now add milk to your soup without risking curdling it.

If it tastes overly acidic or sharp, add a quarter teaspoon of baking soda. The soup will bubble and fizz wherever the soda lands as carbon dioxide is released. Give it a good stir to make sure the soda is fully spent; when the bubbles subside, taste again and add another quarter teaspoon if needed.

For the most intense tomato flavor, include a couple tablespoons of tomato paste. To get the most out of it, add it to the pan when aromatics like onion and garlic are softened, but before adding the tomatoes. Let the paste cook, stirring frequently, for a few minutes, or until it starts to darken in color.

Is tomato soup better with milk or water? ›

You can use either depending on your taste. Water is perfectly fine but using milk will make the end product much richer. With most brands, you can use either option. Milk makes the tomato soup creamier, and it tastes better, that way.

Cornstarch is a great option as it is a natural thickening agent, but you'll want to be careful about how much you use. Start with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch whisked together with cold water to create a slurry. Then, gradually add the slurry to the soup, letting it boil for one to two minutes before adding more.

A traditional bisque is made with a stock made with shellfish (lobster, crab, crayfish). Modern usage of the word “bisque” is for nearly any pureed, or especially, creamy soup. I'm guessing that restaurants sell more “tomato bisque” than they do “cream of tomato soup”.

A bisque is a French style of soup that is made from crustaceans, such as lobster, crab, shrimp, and crayfish; their shells are used to make a stock and the meat is incorporated into the finished dish.

Typically, tomato and basil soup is made with tomatoes, olive oil, stock, garlic, onions, cream, and herbs/seasoning. However, each recipe will vary depending on taste preferences. What ingredient does a bisque typically have? Usually, a bisque is made with shellfish as the main ingredient.

While basil, cilantro, and oregano are all popular herbs to pair with Tomatoes, there are many more options to choose from! If you want to experiment with more herbs, here are a few extra options that taste great with Tomatoes: Parsley. Dill.

Depending on the soup's flavor profile, you could shake in some cumin or red pepper flakes. Go green: Add some spinach or chopped kale or pesto. Get zesty: A squirt of lemon juice or zest could brighten up an otherwise flat soup. Starchy things: Homemade croutons, crushed tortilla chips, or oyster crackers.

The key here is using the right herbs. Choose tender, leafy herbs for topping soup, like parsley (flat leaf or curly), cilantro, chives, or even mint. Skip the woody herbs, like rosemary and thyme — or add them in the beginning of the cooking process — otherwise they will dull, rather than brighten, the flavor.