Quick help needed - how to make a tomato soup more tasty?

[ilovelibraries]

Help! I made a tomato soup yesterday (BBC Good Food one) and followed it to the letter. Except I added more tomato purée as it seemed a bit bland.

I’ve just tried it again as I was going to serve it for lunch, but it’s still really bland. I understand that tomatoes are the moment aren’t as flavoursome as earlier in the year.

So, what can I do to pep it up? It’s just a plain tomato, celery, onion, carrot and veg stock soup. With seasoning and tomato paste. I need to add (at least) some thing, but I’m not experienced enough to know what.

Thanks in advance!

Sugar and salt....always helps with tomatoes.

Lemon juice, basil, olive oil and fresh cracked pepper?

Maybe a dollop of cream?

Roast some peppers and then whizz them up and put them in.

Weirdly, tomato tends to benefit from a teeny bit of honey or sugar, just a teaspoon or so, it always makes it more tomatoe-y.

Other than that, seasoning and another stock cube would be my usual solution to bland soup.

Salt and sugar.

Tomatoes taste of nothing at the moment so you don't get the depth of flavour. IME you also need to roast the tomatoes first.

You could try some Lea & Perrins, a touch of marmite for some umami.

Heinz is a whle lot less hassle!

@Mama1980

Sugar and salt....always helps with tomatoes.

Yes, I agree.

Get the right balance of salty, sweet, sour, spicy, bitter and creamy. And it becomes moreish .

Marmite, soy sauce, chilli flakes (add a few, taste and add more if necessary - I always add chilli flakes to my home-made tomato soup to pep it up a bit but it's very much a personal taste ingredient.)

Worcestershire sauce and if you like a bit of spice maybe some dried chilli flakes.

I'd add cheese myself.

Butter!!!

tsp of pesto always helps as well

A dash of balsamic vinegar x

Pickled onions blitzed in. Weird but makes a real difference. I also second a bit of chilli and some basil

Worcester sauce?

Wow, thanks! I’ll have a look what we have in the cupboard. I love making soups, and knew this would be a bit bland, but wasn’t sure how to save it.

Thanks. You’re all brilliant!

Sundried tomatoes and few chilli flakes

I agree with balsamic vinegar. Really livens up tomato soup.

I always make tomato soup with actual tomato juice! I also add purée a bit of veg stock, salt, pepper and any veg and herbs you have to hand.
Oh and a bit of Worcestershire Sauce!

MSG :)

Big squirt of ketchup

Sugar and a tub of soft cheese.

Roast them.

Easiest tomato sauce/soup in the world:

Slice a LOT of tomatoes into halves
Place into a roasting dish with garlic, salt, olive oil
Roast at medium-high temperature until the tomatoes are on the verge of becoming charred at the edges
Whizz up
Scoop up any remaining juice/oil on bread - 😋😋
Easy peasy, and absolutely delicious

So which BBC recipe are you using? I use this one:
www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/rich-tomato-soup-pesto

It combines several of the above suggestions, sun-dried tomatoes, spoon of sugar, garlic, pesto and I'd never have called it bland. But I'd also agree that Lea & Perrins is a good way to add pizazz.

Thanks everyone. Some good advice and great ideas.

As I’d already made it, I added some Worcester sauce, ground black pepper, some honey, some more Worcester sauce and some chilli flakes. It was totally delicious! (And to think I almost threw it away).

Those of you who suggested roasting the tomatoes - that’s very good advice!

I might have another go and use some more of your ideas.

Thanks again!