Equipment
Ingredients
Soup Base
- 30 ml olive oil
- 15 g unsalted butter
- 100 g onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic, smashed
- 2 g kosher salt
- 1 g black pepper
- 75 g carrot, chopped
- 1 celery, chopped
- 794 g whole peeled tomatoes in juice
- 15 g tomato paste
- 475 ml water
Pasta Component
- 90 g alphabet pasta
- 30 g unsalted butter
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 229 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbohydrates
- 23 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 6 g
- Sodium
- 363 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 5 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 19 mg
- Potassium
- 479 mg
- Calcium
- 79 mg
- Iron
- 1.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 33 mg
- Phosphorus
- 79 mg
- Zinc
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin A
- 223 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 24 mg
- Vitamin E
- 2.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 13 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.93 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.12 mg
- Niacin
- 1.4 mg
- Folate
- 23 mcg
- Water
- 289 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Heat 30ml olive oil and 15g butter in a heavy pot over medium heat.
Add 100g chopped onion and 2 smashed garlic cloves to the pot; season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes until the onion softens.
Stir in 75g chopped carrot and 40g chopped celery, cooking for 10 minutes until the vegetables are just tender.
Drain the whole peeled tomatoes into a bowl to reserve the juice, then squeeze the tomatoes by hand to remove all excess liquid.
Add the squeezed tomatoes and 15g tomato paste to the pot and cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes caramelize and darken.
Boil 90g alphabet pasta in a separate pot of salted water according to the package directions.
Drain the pasta, reserving 240ml (1 cup) of the cooking water for later use.
Mix the cooked pasta with 30g butter and season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside.
Pour the reserved tomato juice and 475ml water into the vegetable pot, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom.
Bring the liquid to a simmer and cook partially covered for 10 to 15 minutes until all vegetables are very soft.
Puree the soup until completely smooth using an immersion blender.
Stir in the reserved pasta water as needed to reach your desired consistency, then incorporate the buttered pasta and serve.
Chef's Notes
- Squeezing the tomatoes before adding them to the pot is essential for proper caramelization; if too much liquid remains, they will steam rather than brown.
Storage
Refrigerator: 96 hours — Store in an airtight container; pasta will continue to absorb liquid over time.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze without pasta for best texture results.
Reheating: Warm in a saucepan over medium-low heat, adding a splash of water if the soup has thickened.
Troubleshooting
Soup has a bitter aftertaste
Cause: Tomato paste or garlic scorched during the caramelization step.
Fix: Add a small pinch of sugar to balance the acidity and bitterness.
Prevention: Stir more frequently and reduce heat if the mixture darkens too quickly.
Soup is too thick after storage
Cause: The pasta continued to absorb liquid while sitting.
Fix: Thin the soup with a small amount of water or vegetable broth when reheating.
Prevention: Store the pasta and soup separately if not eating immediately.
Cultural Context
Tomato soup, particularly the creamy or smooth varieties, became a comforting staple in American households in the early to mid-20th century, often associated with childhood and simple, home-cooked meals. The addition of alphabet pasta elevates it to a classic kid-friendly dish, making it a nostalgic favorite for many.
