This tomato and polenta dumplings soup is so refreshing, light, and packed with antioxidants and vitamins, a real winter warmer or a summer soul-hugger like I always say. It is a beautiful vegetarian dish, can easily be made vegan, and it is totally gluten-free too if you are after a gluten-free recipe.
This particular soup I'd rate as the best tomato soup perfect also for a low-calorie diet. Makes a great refreshing soup option to eat in the summer and enjoyed cold.
Who said you cannot have a good old soup in the summer?
The taste given by the roast vine tomatoes is so unique.
Ingredients
I do feel like the ingredients for this beautiful tomato soup need a bit of elaboration. Tomato soup is generally a simple soup but because of its simplicity, the best ingredients need to be used for the absolute best results and flavor.
- fresh tomatoes - really ripe and roast them with some salt and a drizzle of olive oil.
- peppers - don't even think of using any but roasted peppers
- garlic - roasted for a great flavor
- herbs - you may use dried or fresh herbs or even a combination of these
- carrots - these should also be roasted for a great rich flavor
How To Make The Easiest Tomato Soup From Scratch
Forget about ever buying canned tomato soup, make this and you can even preserve it for later. I will talk about this a little later.
This simple homemade tomato soup is quick, easy, and incredibly delicious.
I totally recommend using fresh tomatoes but can come out excellent with canned tomatoes too. Whenever fresh tomatoes aren't an option and by this, I mean when tomatoes are not in season use a good Italian brand canned tomato.
See tips for canned and fresh tomatoes in the FAQs below. If you love quick, no-fuss, and utterly delicious soup recipes, this is it!
Variations and Serving Suggestions
Of course, to make it a little creamier and even more exciting than this soup already is, just add a dash of creme fraiche. Yummy.
Other summer soup options
Luscious Wild Garlic and Nettle Soup, this Creamy Mushroom Soup With Turmeric And Thyme, or my Pressure cooker nettle and Black-eyed beans soup, or even this fabulous Moroccan Tomato And Cauliflower Soup.
For the best flavors in this delicious tomato soup, I recommend using garden tomatoes. It is all about the flavor, the sun, and thus the season. I love this soup in the summer served cold from the fridge on a hot torrid day!
By the way, we love San Marzano Tomatoes - these are not watery and taste great.
You can also use any fresh tomatoes. You will need 10 to 12 whole larger tomatoes (or about 2 pounds). It’s best to peel them, but we have made the soup with unpeeled tomatoes. When you blitz the soup the skin will no longer matter.
This soup is excellent with canned tomatoes too if fresh are out of season or you cannot source some. I love using good brands of Italian tomatoes either whole peeled tomatoes or chopped tomatoes. Simply add these instead of the fresh ones and follow the same recipe below.
If you like soups, you may also like...
- Potato soup with ham hock and petit pois (garden peas)
- Broccoli and stilton cheese soup
- Tripe Soup (a total delicacy)
Here's this tomato and polenta dumplings soup recipe. Enjoy and let me know how you liked my recipe by either leaving a comment below or tagging me.
Tomato and polenta dumplings soup
Equipment
- 1 oven tray or a sheet pan
- 1 hand mixer blender
- 1 pot
- 1 pan
Ingredients
For the soup
- 900 g vine tomatoes (31.75 oz) (organic)
- 2 medium onions (brown or red) (organic)
- 1 Litre water ( 34 fl oz) (or vegetable stock)
- 2 small carrots (organic)
- 4 cloves garlic (organic)
- 2 medium peppers (red) (organic)
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (optional)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pinch salt
For the polenta
- 500 ml water ( 17 fl oz) (use a kettle to boil)
- 150 g polenta flour (1.2 cups /5.3 oz) dry, fine or coarse
- 1 tablespoons dried or fresh rosemary (organic)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch pepper freshly ground
- 3-4 tablespoons creme fraiche (optional) do not include for a vegan option
Instructions
Soup preparations
- Preheat oven at 180 C/ 350 F/ Gas Mark 4.
- Peel and wash all the vegetables. Peel only 2 garlic cloves the rest leave them with skin on.
- Cut tomatoes into quarters or halves, finely chop half rosemary, peppers, carrots and onions cut into chunks, 2 cloves of garlic (leave the skin on). Put all in a baking tray, toss them and sprinkle some salt, drizzle olive oil and freshly grind some black pepper. Place in the oven and roast for 25-30 min. At this point, you can increase the oven temperature to 200 C/ 400 F/ Gas mark 6 if you wish. Don’t forget to sprinkle the balsamic vinegar if you choose to add it. It’s really nice I do recommend you try it.
Making the polenta
- While the vegetables are roasting nicely, place a medium size pan on a medium fire, put the 500 ml boiling water from the kettle in, some salt, and the remainder of the rosemary needles finely chopped. When the water begins to boil again which should happen pretty much straight away, sprinkle in the polenta flour little by a little while stirring continuously with the other hand (with a wooden spoon) until it all goes in. Keep on stirring so that it doesn't form a crust. This should be ready in 5-7 min.
Back to the soup again
- Place all the roast veggies into a cooking pan, on medium fire, add the boiling water or veg stock (1l) but before, please don’t forget to squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skin. With the help of an electric hand blender, blend it all nicely until it becomes nice 'n smooth. Season well. Place on med/high heat and simmer for another 15 min. This is what will give this soup a nice deep colour and a rich taste.
- Take the polenta into spoonful dumplings and spoon them into the soup. Cook for 5 extra minutes if you wish.
- Serve the soup in a bowl or deep plates and why not, spoon in a small dollop of creme fraiche if you wish. Totally optional but thats so delicious.
Teresa Hagen says
I’m a little confused about the recipe. Do the roasted onions go in the soup or the polenta? And does the soup really need two onions for a recipe to serve four people? You mention carrots in the list of ingredients but not in the directions. If carrots are part of the recipe, will they roast at the same time as the other vegetables? I would love to make this recipe this week.
Ramona says
Hi Teresa,
Thank you for stopping by. The roasted onions, as well as the garlic, can go in both but mainly the soup. I personally love onions so 2 onions are the right amount - you may add more or cut down on the number or the size of the onions. This is a personal preference. Add a leek instead if you don't particularly like onions. Yes, carrots should go in the oven for roasting with the rest of the ingredients right at the beginning. I have added this in the method as they were indeed lost 😉
Please do let me know how you liked this tomato soup but I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I do.
Thank you again!
Margie McGee says
You didn't tell us how to make the soup using canned tomatoes.
Yaris says
Made this soup a few times now, simple and delicious. I really liked the idea of adding the polenta dumplings to it, it makes extra yummy. Definitely a regular here now. Thanks for sharing Ramona!