Tomato soup
A versatile soup with tomatoes as the main ingredient.
Tomato soup is a soup where tomatoes are the main ingredient. It can be eaten either hot or cold, and there are many ways to prepare it. The texture might be smooth, or the soup can include chunks of tomato, cream, chicken or vegetable stock, vermicelli, other vegetable pieces, or meatballs. Different countries have their own versions, which differ in taste, serving size, and what goes into them.
The first known recipe for tomato soup was published in 1832 in N. K. M. Lee's *The Cook's Own Book*. The dish became more popular after Eliza Leslie included a recipe in her 1857 *New Cookery Book*. The Campbell Soup Company helped spread its popularity further when it introduced condensed tomato soup in 1897. Before the American Civil War, many people in the United States avoided tomato soup because they thought tomatoes were poisonous.
Nutritionally, tomato soup is usually low in calories and high in potassium, as well as vitamins C, K, and A, depending on the recipe. It also contains a lot of lycopene, a pigment that has been linked to various health benefits due to its antioxidant properties. However, in 2011, the European Food Safety Authority decided there wasn't enough evidence to show that lycopene acts as an antioxidant in humans, especially for skin, heart function, or protecting vision from UV light. The US Food and Drug Administration has also found little scientific proof that lycopene affects specific cancers and does not allow manufacturers to make unsupported claims about lycopene and cancer risk.
A basic tomato soup can be made with canned or fresh tomatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil, and vegetable or chicken broth, plus butter, salt, pepper, and sometimes sugar for flavor. For a fresh version, tomatoes are blanched, peeled, and blended into a puree. Fresh tomatoes work best when very ripe, as ripeness greatly affects the flavor. In Poland, the soup is often made with tomato paste, chicken broth, and sour cream, and it is not creamed; it includes vegetable pieces like carrots, parsley root, and celery root, and may be served with pasta or rice. This soup is frequently based on leftover *rosół* (Polish broth) from a few days earlier, and its popularity has become an inside joke among Poles. In India, the soup is spicier and enhanced with many spices, such as cumin, cardamom, ginger, turmeric, cayenne, coriander, garam masala, and black pepper, and
- First published recipe
- 1832, in N. K. M. Lee's The Cook's Own Book
- Popularized by
- Eliza Leslie's recipe in New Cookery Book (1857)
- Industrial introduction
- Campbell Soup Company introduced condensed tomato soup in 1897
- Key nutrients
- Low in calories, high in potassium, vitamins C, K, A, and lycopene
- Notable variants
- Gazpacho (cold Spanish soup), tomato borscht, Polish and Indian versions
Lore & Background
The first published recipe for tomato soup appeared in N. K. M. Lee's The Cook's Own Book in 1832. Eliza Leslie's tomato soup recipe featured in New Cookery Book in 1857 popularized the dish. The Campbell Soup Company later helped popularize the dish with the introduction of condensed tomato soup in 1897. In America, tomato soup was generally not consumed throughout the pre-civil war era due to a widespread belief that tomatoes were poisonous.
Reader's Guide
Tomato soup holds significance as a globally adapted dish with deep historical roots. Its first recorded recipe dates to 1832, and it was popularized in the mid-19th century. The Campbell Soup Company's 1897 condensed version made it a staple in American households. Nutritionally, it is generally low in calories and rich in potassium, vitamins C, K, and A, as well as lycopene, though regulatory bodies have found insufficient evidence for certain health claims. Culturally, variations abound: in Poland, it is often made with chicken broth and sour cream; in India, it is spiced with cumin, cardamom, and turmeric; and in Spain, gazpacho is a cold raw-vegetable puree distinct from hot tomato soup. Industrial production focuses on tomato puree, with safety considerations regarding pH and anaerobic pathogens. The soup's adaptability and long history make it a notable entry in culinary reference works.
Did You Know?
- The first published recipe for tomato soup appeared in 1832 in N. K. M. Lee's The Cook's Own Book.
- In pre-civil war America, tomato soup was generally not consumed because tomatoes were widely believed to be poisonous.
- Gazpacho, a cold tomato soup from Andalusia, Spain, is never heated and contains raw vegetables like cucumber and bell peppers.
- The European Food Safety Authority concluded in 2011 that there was insufficient evidence for lycopene having antioxidant effects in humans.
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