Heirloom Tomato Soup

Every Saturday morning, I come home with multiple baskets full of produce from the various markets that I now find myself going to. For the past several weeks, I have been loading up on tomatoes, all different varieties - sun golds, heirlooms, sunrise bumblebees, and more!

This weekend, I went to the Western Wake Farmers Market again and found myself with too many tomatoes when I got home. Since the weather is crumby (as in rainy and 64 degrees), I decided to work on a soup recipe to use up some of my tomato stash. The heirloom tomatoes were perfect for the soup, not only bringing a vibrant color, but a bright sweet flavor. 

What is an heirloom tomato exactly? Heirlooms are open-pollinated varieties of tomato that can be classified into four categories; family, commercial, mystery and created. Even though heirlooms are not the most attractive of tomatoes, they make up for it with flavor, much more than conventional strands.

I added a few carrots to create more texture, then built on top of the tomato flavor with spices, a Parmesan rind and garlic. The end result was a spicy, yet refreshing soup that was perfect for dinner along-side some sautéed zucchini and corn on the cob from the market. The recipe made enough to last us for several leftover meals, especially since we would need something to combat the rainy day blues ahead!

Heirloom Tomato Soup

Recipe Adapted from Go Bold With Butter

Yields: 4 cups
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 pounds Heirloom tomatoes (about 4-5 large tomatoes), cut into chunks

3 cups vegetable stock

1 Parmesan rind (optional)

2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped and divided

Heavy cream (optional)

In a large stock or soup pot melt the butter over medium heat, then add in the olive oil, carrot and onion. Season with salt and sauté for 5 minutes or until onions become translucent. Add cayenne and stir to coat vegetables, cook for one minute, then stir in the tomatoes.


Pour in the vegetable stock and Parmesan rind (if using) and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and bring the soup to a simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes until almost reduced by half and tomatoes are soft. 

Remove the pot from heat and remove the Parmesan rind. Using an immersion blender or regular blender (in batches), blend the soup until a smooth consistency. Serve with fresh basil and heavy cream if desired.