Mexican tomato soup with grilled peppers Recipe
This tomato soup has a deep flavor thanks to roasted peppers and spices commonly used in Mexican cooking. It’s a bit like Italian minestrone, but smoother and with a distinct aroma of cumin and chili. It’s perfect as a warming lunch on cooler days when you need something light yet full of flavor.
This Mexican tomato soup stands out thanks to the smoky aroma of roasted peppers, which combines with the acidity of tomatoes and earthy cumin. Its smooth consistency makes it similar to a cream soup, but the heat from the chili and the fresh coriander give it the character of a street-style soup from Mexican fondas rather than an elegant bisque.
Chef's tips
Roast the peppers until the skin is really dark – if it’s only lightly browned, the soup won’t gain that characteristic smoky note. After blending, be sure to taste and adjust the heat level: fresh chili can be unpredictable, so it’s better to add it gradually than to have to rescue the soup later with extra stock or cream.
How to serve
Serve this soup with crunchy nachos or garlic croutons – they nicely tame the spiciness and stand in for bread. To drink, lightly chilled pale beer or lime water with a pinch of salt, like in Mexican aguas frescas, works very well. It’s an ideal dish for an autumn lunch after a long walk, when you come home cold and want to warm up quickly.
Ingredients
- canned chopped tomatoes two 400 g cans - 800 g
- red bell pepper halved, seeds removed - 2 piece
- onion diced - 1 piece
- garlic chopped - 3 cloves
- vegetable stock homemade or from a cube - 800 ml
- fresh chili pepper seeded, finely chopped - 1 piece
- ground cumin - 0.75 teaspoon
- dried oregano regular or Mexican - 0.5 teaspoon
- vegetable oil for frying - 2 tablespoon
- salt or to taste - 1 teaspoon
- ground black pepper - 0.25 teaspoon
- 18% sour cream for serving, optional - 4 tablespoon
- fresh coriander chopped, for sprinkling - 0.25 bunch
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 220°C with the grill or top heating element on. Place the pepper halves skin-side up on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
- Put the peppers in the oven for 10–15 minutes, until the skin darkens significantly and is almost charred in places. This will give the soup a smoky aroma.
- Transfer the hot peppers to a bowl and cover with a plate or cling film for about 10 minutes so the skin loosens. Then peel off the skin with your fingers or a knife and cut the flesh into strips.
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 4–5 minutes, stirring often, until it softens and becomes slightly translucent but not browned.
- Add the garlic and chopped chili and fry for about 1 more minute, until you can clearly smell the garlic; be careful not to burn it.
- Add the cumin and oregano, stir and fry for another 30 seconds so the spices heat up and release their aroma.
- Add the canned tomatoes with their juice, the chopped roasted pepper and the vegetable stock. Stir, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15–20 minutes with the lid on.
- Remove the pot from the heat and carefully blend the soup with a hand blender until smooth. If you prefer a thinner consistency, add a little water or stock.
- Season the soup with salt and pepper, bring back to a gentle boil over low heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring so the flavors meld.
- Serve the hot soup in bowls with a dollop of sour cream in the center and sprinkled with fresh coriander. You can also serve it with toasted bread or nachos.
Storage
Store the cooled soup in the fridge in a closed container and reheat gently, without boiling vigorously. It also freezes well, so you can keep portions for quick future meals.
