Can You Really Make Tomato Soup With 3 Ingredients?

Yes, the title of this article is true. You can really make tomato soup with three ingredients — and in under 5 minutes, too. While there are countless fantastic tomato soup recipes (and a we'll always stock up on), a tiny 6-ounce can or 4.

5-ounce tube of tomato paste can primarily be used to create an exceptional tomato soup. When it comes to tomato-based dishes, like soup, sauce, juice, and ketchup, most are derived from tomato paste or it's used to build depth of flavor. Compared to a 14.



5-ounce can of tomatoes, tomato paste tastes richer and more intense, with a thicker consistency, since its water content is completely evaporated with only tomato concentrate left. When making tomato soup from only three ingredients, its components must pack a punch to compensate for the loss of flavor that would have come from other items. The tomato paste will create a significantly more flavorful soup as its condensed form has a concentrated, long-simmered taste.

Once the can of tomato paste is opened and scraped into either a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl or saucepan, the hardest part of making it is over. Add a cup of water to thin out the concentrated consistency of the paste, followed by a sprinkling of dried basil. Dashes of salt and pepper are also called for, but since they're standard seasonings, they aren't considered main ingredients.

Stir the mixture and heat on medium-low until it comes to a simmer. Less ingredients that bring more flavor Although this recipe has only a few simple ingredients, there's still room for variations. For even , you can caramelize it in a saucepan first.

If you're able to find a tomato paste already seasoned with dried herbs, this makes an excellent one-to-one replacement for plain tomato paste. With this substitution, you can replace the basil with a different seasoning for an added depth of flavor, such as paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, or Italian seasoning. If you happen to have vegetable or chicken broth on hand, this can replace the water one-to-one; just be sure to adjust the salt added to the soup when using broth.

Toppings are optional but highly recommended. Choose from classic tomato soup toppings like fresh herbs, , a sprinkling of your favorite cheese, a pinch or two of red pepper flakes, or a generous drizzle of heavy cream for added creaminess and to balance acidity. While this may be one of the easiest and quickest ways to make tomato soup, it's also one of the most affordable, costing only a few cents per two one-cup servings.

If tomato paste isn't already a pantry staple of yours, it just might become one now that you know a flavorful bowl of tomato soup is only a step away. Recommended.