Description
Homemade slow cooker tomato soup delivers comfort in a bowl, blending rich flavors with minimal effort. Fresh tomatoes and aromatic herbs simmer gently, creating a silky smooth soup perfect for chilly evenings you’ll savor to the last spoonful.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables and Tomatoes:
- 2 cans (800 g / 28.2 ounces) crushed tomatoes
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
Herbs and Seasonings:
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 bay leaf (optional)
- Fresh basil or parsley for garnish
Liquids and Fats:
- 750 ml (3 cups) vegetable or chicken broth
- 120 ml (½ cup) heavy cream (optional)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
- Gather all fresh ingredients and place them into the ceramic vessel of the slow cooker, creating a foundational layer with chopped tomatoes, diced onions, sliced carrots, and minced garlic.
- Incorporate tomato paste, selected dried herbs, seasoning elements like salt and pepper, and a touch of sugar to balance flavors.
- Pour vegetable or chicken broth over the assembled ingredients, ensuring all components are well-submerged.
- Gently nestle a single bay leaf into the liquid mixture for additional aromatic depth.
- Secure the slow cooker lid and set the temperature to low, allowing the ingredients to simmer and meld together for 6-8 hours, or alternatively use high heat for 3-4 hours until vegetables become remarkably tender.
- After cooking, carefully extract the bay leaf and discard it.
- Transform the soup’s texture using an immersion blender, creating a smooth, velvety consistency by methodically pureeing the entire mixture.
- For those preferring a traditional blender, cautiously transfer small batches, processing with careful attention to prevent splashing of hot liquid.
- Optional: Introduce heavy cream to the soup, stirring gently to create a luxurious, silky finish.
- Perform a final taste assessment, adjusting seasonings with additional salt, pepper, or a subtle hint of sugar to achieve perfect flavor balance.
Notes
- Customize the Herbs: Experiment with different dried herbs like basil, thyme, or oregano to create unique flavor profiles that match your taste preferences.
- Boost Nutrition: Sneak in extra vegetables like spinach or zucchini during blending to increase the soup’s nutritional value without changing the core tomato flavor.
- Dairy-Free Adaptation: Replace heavy cream with coconut milk or cashew cream for a vegan-friendly version that maintains a rich, creamy texture.
- Texture Control: For a chunkier soup, only partially blend the ingredients, leaving some vegetable pieces for added bite and rustic appeal.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 6-8 hours (low) or 3-4 hours (high)
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg