This spicy Tomato Soup is an easy fix using canned tomatoes. Rich, smooth and creamy, it’s a perfect soup for a cozy night in. Add in some New Mexico Red Chile Powder gives this a Southwestern twist. A couple slices of bread will make this an easy meal.
What Is Spicy Tomato Soup?
My recipe for spicy tomato soup uses canned fire roasted tomatoes for a quick fix and smoky flavor. I’ve taken a cue from our neighbors to the South and created this soup using a generous amount of New Mexico Chile Powder. This simple ingredient elevates an American classic to a rich and robust bowl of soup. A small amount of half and half makes this a creamy treat.
Table of contents
Why Canned Tomatoes Make A Good Tomato Soup
When the weather turns cold, skip the flavorless hot-house tomatoes at the grocery store. Instead, reach for canned tomatoes.
- Packed at the peak of ripeness, they lock in that fresh vibrant tomato flavor for a convenient pantry staple any time of year.
- Homemade tomato soup using canned tomatoes is a much healthier option than condensed tomato soup, as you can control the sodium levels and skip the preservatives.
- Not to mention, canned tomatoes are very inexpensive, making tomato soup a budget worthy meal.
You need not wait for fresh tomato season to make this recipe, making spicy tomato soup from canned tomatoes is not only easy, but tomato-y flavorful.
Let’s take a look at how to make spicy tomato soup:
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Fire Roasted Tomatoes: Use these rather than regular canned tomatoes to add a smoky Southwestern nuance.
- Mirapoix: Chopped celery carrots and onions.
- White Wine
- Half and Half, for that creamy tomato experience.
- Sherry Vinegar: Sherry vinegar is a very special vinegar with a complex flavor that you won’t find in other vinegars. If you don’t have any, I’d suggest you pick up a bottle and use it often. You can substitute red wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar.
- Spices: Sugar, White Pepper, New Mexico Chile Powder, Mexican Oregano.
- New Mexico Chile Powder: Chimayo Chile Powder Preferred: The bold depth of flavor this chile powder adds, is hard to describe. Not to mention adding a vibrant deep red color. If you don’t have it, substitute ancho chile powder, or cayenne. Be careful though, cayenne is a very hot red pepper.
What is Mirepoix? (pronounced Meer-pwah) is a classic French aromatic flavor base, commonly used in soups and sauces. It’s made by lightly cooking a mixture of two parts chopped onion, one part chopped celery and one part chopped carrot. For instance, 2 cups onion, 1 cup celery and 1 cup carrot. The vegetables are cooked slowly in butter or oil to bring out thier flavors without browning or caramelizing.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Fire-Roasted Tomatoes: Substitute regular canned chopped tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, or whole canned tomatoes. Add a pinch of chipotle chile powder, or hot smoked paprika to add a smoky flavor.
- Broth: To make this a vegetarian soup, use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth.
- Butter: Substitute a neutral oil such as vegetable oil or canola oil. I do not recommend using extra virgin olive oil to sautee, the smoking point is low and the flavor stronger.
- Half and Half: Feeling decadent? Use heavy cream in place of half and half.
- Sugar: Sugar is used to cut the bite of the tomatoes. Substitute honey.
- spice. A tablespoon of your favorite hot sauce, or red pepper flakes also work well here.
Mexican Oregano is preferred for this recipe. It's peppery, grassy, earthy flavor is a good compliment for Mexican Food. If you don't have Mexican Oregano, substitute Marjoram. Known for its aroma and delicate flavor, its related to oregano and will bring a sweet undertone to any recipe.
Ground White Pepper or White Peppercorns have a milder flavor than black pepper. White pepper can be used for appearance reasons as it can blend in when using it in light colored sauces. As far as flavor, white pepper adds a gentler and earthy flavor, while black pepper has a spicier note. Chefs commonly use white pepper in French cuisine, as well as Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese dishes.
In this blog post, we will take you through the steps to make a delicious and easy spicy tomato soup that you can enjoy anytime.
Step by Step Instructions, It’s Easy
- Step 1: Heat a Dutch oven over medium high heat and add butter. When butter has melted and the bubbles are starting to diminish, add mirepoix mix of onions, carrots and celery. Cook until tender, About 5 minutes. Deglaze with white wine. Cook and stir for about 1 minute.
- Step 2: Turn heat down to medium low. Add undrained canned tomatoes.
- Step 3: Cook until tomatoes start to break down. About 10 minutes. I always help them by smashing now and then during the cooking process, with a potato masher.
- Step 4: Add in oregano, chile powder, broth, white pepper and sugar. Stir and then heat for a couple of minutes until flavors are blended. Add in half and half and leave on heat until blended and hot.
- Step 5: Using an immersion blender, blend all ingredients until smooth for that perfect creamy tomato soup experience. Stir in the sherry vinegar. Ladle into bowls and top with some grated cheese. Serve immediately.
Tips For Success
- Use quality ingredients: When it comes to making soup, using fresh, high-quality ingredients is key. Look for good-quality spices to ensure that your soup has the best flavor.
- Be careful with the heat: While it’s tempting to add a lot of heat to your soup, it’s important to be careful. Start with a little bit of spice, and then adjust to taste. You can always add more spice, but you can’t take it away.
- Puree the soup: To get a smooth, creamy soup, you’ll want to puree it. You can use an immersion blender or transfer the soup to a blender to puree it. Be sure to puree it in batches if using a blender.
- Garnish with fresh herbs: To add a little extra flavor and color to your soup, be sure to garnish it with fresh herbs like basil or cilantro.
- Try topping this spicy tomato soup with grated Monterey Jack Cheese.
Topping Ideas
I like to top this spicy tomato soup with cheese, however, here are some more ideas.
- Crunch: Top with flavored croutons, garlic croutons work well here.
- Heat: Want to kick up that heat level another notch? Top with thin sliced fresh jalapeno peppers. I’ve drizzled some Asian hot chile oil over the soup. It adds a gleam of texture and additional heat.
What To Serve It With
- This hearty soup is a meal in itself, but why not go classic and serve it with a grilled cheese sandwich. Yes please.
- Sliced rustic bread is also an excellent choice.
- And soup and salad are another classic combo. Take a look at this Southwestern Salad with Black Beans.
Variations
Spicy tomato soup doesn’t have to be Southwestern in nature. Here are some fun regional variations to switch things up:
- Italian: Try using Calabrian peppers or Calabrian chile powder. Stir in some chopped basil at the end of cooking or dried basil at the beginning of cooking for an Italian theme.
- Cajun: Try adding Cajun spice in place of New Mexico Chile Powder. Cayenne works well here, or blend like Slap Yo Mamma. Add some dried or fresh thyme.
- Indian: Add some spicy curry paste in place of the chile powder. Garam masala spice blends well with curry.
- Protein: Trying to get more protein into your diet? Add a can of beans. White beans work well here.
- Dairy Free: Want to skip the dairy and still have a creamy tomato soup? Crush a slice of stale bread and mix it with a little olive oil. Add to the soup. Or use your favorite plant based milk product.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator: This soup will keep in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Some cream based soups are not that freezer friendly, however, this soup only has ½ cup of cream and will freeze well. Simply place the cooled soup in a freezer safe container. I like to use freezer zip-lock style bags, as they can lay flat and save freezer space. Simply stand the bag upright, use a spoon to fill the bag about ¾ full, then squeeze air out.
- Reheat: To reheat, let the soup thaw in refrigerator overnight and reheat slowly stovetop until nice and steamy.
Methods For Every Kitchen
- Don’t have an immersion blender? Use a potato masher to break down those tomatoes.
- Use a food processor or blender to make a smooth soup. Be careful though, work in batches and let the soup cool down before.
Frequently Asked Questions
With the combination of vegetables, this chicken soup comes naturally thickened. If you want even a sturdier soup, add a 1-2 ratio of water and cornstarch. Example, stir together one tablespoon of cornstarch with two tablespoons water until smooth. Stir it into the soup and let it cook a few minutes until it becomes thicker in consistency.
Tomatoes are an excellent dietary source of the antioxidant lycopene, which has been linked to health benefits including reduced risk of heart disease and cancer. They are also a great source of vitamin C, potassium, folate and vitamin K. Source: healthline.com
Absolutely yes. Depending on size, substitute 8 – 10 whole peeled fresh tomatoes. Simply core, and chop and add to soup. Don’t forget to scrape that tomato juice from your cutting board into the soup. Lots of flavor there.
This recipe calls for adding both sugar and vinegar. Both of these ingredients naturally take the bite out of a “too-tomatoey” soup. Simply omit the sugar and add an additional splash of vinegar. If you still feel it has too strong of a flavor, try adding more cream. And make sure you use a non-reactive pan. Aluminum or cast iron pans can cause any tomato based recipe to have a metallic flavor. Use stainless steel or enamel coated cast iron.
I’ve chosen fire roasted canned tomatoes for that additional layer of smoky flavor depth. And I’ve chosen chopped tomatoes so they’ll break down quicker. You can use whole tomatoes. If I use whole tomatoes, I take kitchen shears and cut them into chunks once I’ve added them to the soup. If using whole tomatoes, choose Cento brand. They come packed in a thick tomato sauce that is rich and delightful. Crushed tomatoes also work well here.
For all of the attention New Mexico receives as a travel destination, I think their food remains underrated. New Mexico cuisine can undeniably only be called their own, truly unlike any other. A simple description, it’s a blend of Spanish and Native American cultures. And it’s absolutely wonderful. A lot of Southwestern Recipes come out of my kitchen..
Spicy tomato soup is a fantastic twist on the classic tomato soup recipe. It is packed with bold flavors and warming spices that will tantalize your taste buds and leave you feeling satisfied.
And making tomato soup from canned tomatoes makes your kitchen life a breeze. Give this easy tomato soup recipe a try, you’re going to love how simple this recipe is.
More Southwestern Soup Recipes
And if you like soup as much as we do, don’t miss my Soup Category. You’ll find lots of slurp worthy recipes including the most popular on my site for Anthony Bourdain’s New Mexico Style Chili.
Want to learn more about all of those Chile Powders, Chile Peppers and Chili Soups? Don’t miss my post, is it Chile Or Chili.
If you liked this recipe, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing how everything went.
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Spicy Tomato Soup (Using Canned Tomatoes)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 yellow onion minced, small dice
- 1 medium carrot minced, small dice
- 1 large rib of celery minced, small dice
- ¼ cup white wine
- 2 14 ½ ounce cans Fire Roasted Tomatoes diced or while, undrained
- ½ teaspoon Mexican Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Chimayo Chile Powder or any variety of New Mexico Red Chile Powder
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 cup Chicken Broth
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ cup half and half
- 1 teaspoon Sherry vinegar
Instructions
- Heat a Dutch oven over medium high heat and add butter. When butter has melted and the bubbles are starting to diminish, add mirepoix mix of onions, carrots and celery. Cook until tender, About 5 minutes. Deglaze with white wine. Cook and stir for about 1 minute.
- Turn heat down to medium low. Add undrained canned tomatoes and cook until tomatoes start to break down. About 10 minutes. I always help them by smashing now and then with a potato masher.
- Add in oregano, chile powder, broth, white pepper and sugar. Stir and then heat for a couple of minutes until flavors are blended.
- Add in half and half and leave on heat until blended and hot.
- Using an immersion blender, blend all ingredients until smooth. Stir in the sherry vinegar. Ladle into bowls and top with some grated cheese. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Be careful with the heat: While it’s tempting to add a lot of heat to your soup, it’s important to be careful. Start with a little bit of spice, and then adjust to taste. You can always add more spice, but you can’t take it away.
- Puree the soup: To get a smooth, creamy soup, you’ll want to puree it. You can use an immersion blender or transfer the soup to a blender to puree it. Be sure to puree it in batches if using a blender.
- Garnish with fresh herbs: To add a little extra flavor and color to your soup, be sure to garnish it with fresh herbs like basil or cilantro.
- Try topping this spicy tomato soup with grated Monterey Jack Cheese.
- If using regular canned tomatoes, add in a pinch of smoked paprika or chipotle chile powder to add that smoky flavor that you’d get from Fire Roasted Tomatoes.
Nutrition
Spicy Tomato Soup With Canned Tomatoes … It’s What’s For Dinner
Why Trust My Recipes? I am a Culinary School Graduate and a lifelong student of home cooking. I hope to inspire you try to cook as often as you can. I’ve been cooking for 50 years, and my recipes are tried and true tested and tested and then tested again before published. To read more take a look at my About Page.
Definitely a five-star recipe. Restaurant quality in flavor and texture.
I just love the sound of a nice, spicy tomato soup, Lee Ann… Can’t wait to try this!!
I have been craving a tomato soup for a couple of weeks now, but have been too sick to make one or to go get my favorite at a local restaurant. You recipe is a Godsend. It looks just like what I’m dying for – the right color, texture and flavor! Thank you so much! I’ll be making this soon! And thanks for the link love! Lovely post!
You know I am all about New Mexico! 🙂 Great soup. Will be trying it soon with our NM chili powder. 🙂
I do know that! 🙂 Let me know what you think.
I love New Mexico and everything it has to offer. I’ve been there a few times but am always ready to go back. The food is some of the best I’ve ever had. Can’t wait to try this little taste of NM!
I’m so glad to hear from you RMW. Reminds me that somehow I’ve fallen off your blog list. Need to resubscribe and get back on board.
Your southwestern version of tomato soup sounds flavorful and delicious.
Thanks Karen!
You had me at Fire Roasted Tomatoes! That char brings the sweetness out of the fruit!
Totally agree Robin! And as always, thanks for stopping in and the comment.
Love homemade soup. Your soup looks good.
Tomato Soup always reminds me of my Grandmama Elliott! It was her specialty! I bet she would have loved this version! Delicious!
Don’t we all love those food memories!!
Why would anyone ever buy canned tomato soup!!
So my husband can feed himself? tee hee
I cannot wait to try this – my husband considers tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich as the ultimate comfort food. Love starting a soup with mirepoix – just tried it with ham and beans and loved the difference. Beautiful photos!!
Thanks Vickie. I’ve always somewhat unwittingly done a mire poix, but never did it right. Thank you Culinary school for steering me in the right direction.
Love any and all New Mexico flavors. Their chile peppers are the best! Anyway, what a terrific soup — this is just loaded with flavor. Thanks!
Thank you John! I’m obsessed with that chile powder.
Looks delicious LA and glad to see you don’t use a lot of chicken broth as some recipes do.
Lea Ann, that’s just how I like my tomato soup. I’m so glad it will soon be Soup Weather. Soup and bread, that’s all I need (though, unfortunately, my husband considers it just a starter).
Now I just have to make some bread. 🙂 Thanks Jean.