A beautiful home-made soup packed full of flavour. It’s lighter than most winter soups but it will still warm you right up so you can’t go wrong with this recipe. Oh, and it’s super easy to make 😉
When you take that first slurp of this soup, you get a big smack across the face….in a good way of course. The big hit of flavour with the chilli is what makes this soup great, but it can be easy to overpower the flavour so here’s what I did.
Tomatoes are acidic!
I see a lot of people adding tomato paste to tomato based recipes like this one. However, in this case, I really don’t think that it’s necessary as the tomato flavour is already intense and acidic enough.
In fact, I think it’s important to balance out that acidity in tomato soups and sauces. And the way to do this is to add a touch of sugar. Now if this tip is new to you don’t worry, a bit of sugar will not make your tomato soup taste sweet. The sugar simply mellows the overpowering flavour and stop the acidity from being too intense.
I also blended plenty of basil through the soup which gives a nice freshness.
You didn’t peel the tomatoes?
You do get the tiniest flecks of tomato skin here and there in the soup but it’s barely noticeable and it really isn’t a big deal. I promise you that no-one will take note of it. The only reason I didn’t remove the skin was because I wanted this recipe to be as simple and quick as possible, and I felt that adding the extra step wasn’t an absolute must by any means.
However, if you want to take that extra time to remove the skin please do so. And if you don’t know how to peel a tomato, here’s how you do it:
You simply just use a small knife to make a few incisions in the skin of the tomatoes. You then bring a pot of water to a nice gentle simmer. Add your tomatoes and leave them in the hot water for no longer than 30 seconds, you should start to see the skin loosen on the tomatoes.
Use a pair of tongs to transfer to tomatoes to a bowl, and then fill that bowl with cool water. Once the tomatoes have cooled down, you should be able to pick them up and peel the skin away.
Use plenty of garlic
I don’t know about you guys but for me, tomato and garlic are best friends for sure. Whenever I make a tomato based curry or a tomato sauce for pasta, meatballs etc. I don’t think I remember a time where I didn’t use garlic, it really is one of my favourite ingredients.
So that is why I encourage you to not be shy with it in this recipe, don’t just add one or 2 cloves, but enough so you can really get the garlic hum and aroma when you eat it. I believe that this is what takes the dish to the next level.
Roma tomatoes vs regular tomatoes
Now, I don’t think one is better than the other. I think both are good for different types of dishes and cooking/recipe methods. And they are quite similar although they do have some subtle differences:
- Roma tomatoes have a richer, deeper flavour.
- Roma tomatoes have more flesh and have less juice inside.
- Roma tomatoes also tend to boil down faster than regular tomatoes.
Overall, if you want to use fresh tomatoes to make something like soups, sauces or any other recipe that involves breaking down a tomato and boiling it, using roma tomatoes can be beneficial.
If you want to prepare something like fresh salads or tabouli, then it may be nest to stick with regular tomatoes. However, this isn’t a golden rule you must follow, just something to keep in mind. And if you end up using regular tomatoes to make this soup, not a problem, it will be fantastic.
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Lastly, if you’re a fan of tomatoes like me, then why don’t you try making this Garlic Bread Bruschetta?!

Spicy Tomato Soup
Super fresh, and super flavoursome. Your taste buds are going to love this delicious dunkable tomato soup with that perfect touch of chilli.
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- 1 onion peeled and roughly chopped
- 4 garlic cloves peeled and roughly chopped
- 3 red chillies de-seeded and roughly chopped
- 1 whole stick (around 75g) of celery roughly chopped
- 1 kg of roma tomatoes quartered and de-seeded
- A bunch of fresh basil
- 1 litre of vegetable stock
- 750 g tomato puree
- Salt and pepper for seasoning
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- Sour cream for garnish or coconut yoghurt if you're vegan
- Torn up bread on the side, gluten-free bread if you're gluten free
Instructions
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Get a pot over medium heat, add a dash of olive oil and start frying off the onions, garlic, chilli and celery for a few minutes. Add the tomatoes and keep frying for another 3-4 minutes.
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Transfer the ingredients from the pot to a blender (do not discard the pot). Also add 3 quarters of your basil too (leave the rest for garnish). Add a splash of the stock just to help the ingredients blend together well. Blend until smooth, then transfer the mixture back to the pot.
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Add the stock and tomato puree to the pot, stir well and then bring to a boil. As soon as the mixture starts boiling, bring the heat down to gently simmer the soup.
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Simmer for another 5-10 minutes, stirring halfway through. Stirring the soup just ensures that it doesn't start sticking and/or burning at the bottom of the pot. If there are any foamy bits floating at the top, just use a large spoon to skim it off.
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Season with salt, pepper and the sugar. Use a ladle to serve in a bowl and garnish with a dollop of sour cream and a basil leaf. Serve with some torn up bread and enjoy.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- You can use a hand blender instead if you wish. Once you are done frying the onion, garlic, chilli and celery. Just add your stock and tomato puree, then just blitz everything together using your hand blender. Then just continue the recipe from there.
- If you want your soup to be spicier, add a touch of cayenne pepper or chilli powder.
- If you want to peel the tomatoes then please feel free to do so. I explain how to do this in the post.
- Use plenty of garlic, enough so you can actually taste in the soup.
- Don't forget to add a touch of sugar to stop the acidity from being too intense.
- Roma tomatoes are usually better for tomato soups and sauces but it isn't that much of a big deal if you do or don't use them.
- Like a lot of other soups, this one tastes even better the next day.
Lovely recipe and I am a blender fan too!
Thanks! and yess (: makes your life much easier.
A lovely recipe. I personally love canned tomatoes for soups – they’re never acidic, if you use high quality tomatoes. Plus you can make the soups year round!
I really love tomato soup! I’ll try your recipe, sounds delicious 😉
Thank you so much! I really hope you like it (:
hmmm Thanks for sharing that I will have to give that a go! (:
This is a soup that I grew up on. My mother would can hundreds of quarts of tomatoes every year. We would make tomato soup all the time. It always started with a onion, garlic rue. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Well I am certainly happy to have been able to take you back in time. Thanks for the comment!
Tomato soup is such a classic…love it (and especially love the spice you’ve added). Perfect with a grilled cheese on the side for dunkin’ 🙂
With fresh tomatoes a plenty right now, this recipe is a great way to showcase them too. Comfort food season is just around the corner. I know I will be making LOTS of soup in the coming months.
Oh I love the sound of that grilled cheese idea! Thank for the comment Dawn (:
Sounds like the perfect time to make soup!! (:
it is totally Tomato Soup Season – the first cooler weather, and still plenty of ripe tomatoes! I love how easy that is, too.
Thank you so much! I really appreciate the comment (:
Sounds like the perfec time to have tomato soup (:
I absolutely love this post! First of all … OMG your beautiful photos! You had me right there! But then you hit all the most important notes for me … healthier and EASY (yay no peeling the tomatoes!) and also still super delicious! Terrific tips, too, like about how a little sugar can perfectly correct the flavor balance in a tomato recipe like this. Seriously great info and such a well-written, truly useful recipe post – loved it!
I LOVE spicy soup. It is like it makes it extra hot. This one looks extra good with the real tomatoes. I have GOT to try tomato soup sometime
All time favorite. Love your version. Looks so flavorful and delicious. I will try this out soon !
Tomato Soup is my favorite thing to eat in the Fall. It is warm and comforting. The spicy chilies makes it extra tasty. YUMMM.
Tomato soup is one of my all time favorites! Especially during the cooler/winter months alone or with a warm grilled cheese.
A good tomato soup during winter is like heaven (:
It really is Katie! And I don’t know if can have tomato soup without the spice now (:
Thank so much! I hope you like it (:
Thanks for the comment Kath! The spice really takes it to another level (:
This made me so happy. Thank you for taking the time to write this comment I am super grateful. Have an amazing day (:
I love tomato soup but to make it spicy! I want a grilled cheese and a big bowl of this soup for lunch tomorrow! In love!
Yes!! The grilled cheese is a fabulous idea!! And you can add as much or as little spice as you want. Thanks for your comment (:
When I was a kid, tomato soup was a staple at lunchtime, but it always came from a can. As a grown up, I prefer homemade, and this recipe would definitely hit the spot.
Homemade is always better!! Thanks for commenting Nicole!!
This looks so rich and delicious Nick!! And the color is so inviting! This is perfect for a light fall supper. Am pinning it! And like the pinch of sugar idea just to brighten it a bit! You’re amazing!
lovely recipe. great idea to pan roast the ingredients before grinding them to puree. It does look delicious and appetizing. The rich red colour is so vibrant.
This soup looks amazing. Beyond words so delicious. I love thick soups made with fresh ingredients. I must try this recipe asap. Spicy soups are my fav. Beautiful photos 😉
Thanks so much Rhanda!! I really appreaciate you! Have an amazing day (:
Thank you Adita!! Really appreaciate that (:
I really hope you like it Natalie!! Thank you for taking the time to write this comment!
Thanks Michele, the spice really makes a big difference! I can’t imagine tomato soup without any heat now (:
Thank you Nick – I love raw tomato with anything, but am not keen on any form of warm/hot or spicy tomato, but I must admit I may even try this one. Thank you for sharing at the SeniorSalon
Ahh I see, it’s absolutely fine if you don’t add the heat (: