A small amount of cream turns a pot of simple tomato soup into a creamy, lush, pretty-pink tomato soup experience. You can add cream to basically any tomato soup recipe to make it a creamier version of itself. This recipe uses only canned tomatoes, which means you can make it any time of year and not have to wait for that magical perfect tomato time at the end of the summer.
Saffron in Tomato Soup
You probably have all of the ingredients on hand, except perhaps the cream and the saffron. Saffron is the priciest spice of all, and with good reason.
Saffron threads are the stamens that come from the flower of a type of crocus that only grow in some parts of the world (Iran and Spain are two big producers), the harvesting process is laborious, and the flowers are rather stingy with their threads. Each flower, which blooms for one week of the year, produces three to four stamens which must be carefully hand-picked and then dried.
The flavor? Kind of ethereal and hard to describe, but it makes dishes taste rich and just amazingly delicious. You can skip it and have a lovely cream of tomato soup, but add it and become a saffron convert.
Other Soup Recipes for Colder Weather
Creamy Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 onions (chopped)
- 3 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 35-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste (optional)
- ¼ teaspoons saffron threads
- ⅔ cups heavy cream
- Kosher or coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Directions
- Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and sauté for 10 minutes, until they start to turn golden brown. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes more.
- Add the canned tomatoes, broth, tomato paste and saffron — if using — to the pot, turn the heat to high, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to gently simmer, uncovered, for another 20 minutes. Stir in the cream, and make sure to heat through. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
- Serve hot.
Nutrition Information
The nutrition values are provided as an estimate. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a qualified healthcare professional.
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This is absolutely exquisite! Thank yiu!
This recipe sounds just right for today! dark, grim, apocalyptic type of weather. Is there a particular can of crushed tomatoes that you recommend, Katie?
I’m fairly flexible on canned tomatoes in general! I wish you would make me a bowl!
Maybe I just will!
When do we add the saffron?
with the tomato paste!
This sounds delicious! Thank you
Let me know what you think!