Who makes BBQ soup? We do here at Ultimate Grill.
This is the ultimate soup for the end of the summer, when you’re trying to figure out what to do with all those tomatoes that are gonna go bad if noone eats them soon. You can dish it up hot or cold, or even just at room temperature. It’s up to you. It’s awesome with grilled cheese as I’m sure you’re familiar with the classic combo.
For 6 friends, or it’ll last you about a week if you’re greedy.
- 5 large heirloom tomatoes, quartered and seeded (about five pounds)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (extra virgin only please, come on guys). ps. when you go to buy the stuff, get “first cold pressing.” If it doesn’t say it on the label, it’s not.
- 1 fennel bulb, white portion only, sliced against the grain 1 1/2” thick
- 3/4 cup shallots, chopped fine
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- Salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)
- Tomato paste
-1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped fine
Toss the tomatoes with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Make sure they’re nice and coated. Pour the tomatoes into a glass oven-proof dish and stick the whole thing in your smoker. I’ve got the Weber Smoky Mountain, but use what ya got, whether it’s an UDS or BGE. If you don’t have a smoker, place wood chips over coals or flame of your standard grill, and place dish on rack away from coals or heat source (so tomatoes are smoked with indirect heat). I gotta put up a post one of these days on how to smoke on a standard grill. If your BBQ is not large enough to allow this, you can place a heat-resistant tile between the rack and the baking dish to keep tomatoes from stewing. Close lid and smoke those tamatas for 30 minutes or until soft. Remove tomatoes and juices and set aside. Brush a bit o’ EVOO the fennel slices, and grill over low heat until soft (keep an eye on it – you don’t want these babies getting all black and charry). Remove from grill and set aside. When cooled slightly, pulse the fennel in a food processor until finely chopped. Add tomatoes and their juices and pulse a few times to blend the mixture.
Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. You can do this on a propane grill if you want, but it’s not worth it. No need to be picky and try to grill the soup the entire time, but go ahead if you so desire. I’m using my indoor stovetop for this step. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sauté shallots and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato/fennel mixture and chicken or vegetable stock. Simmer at very low heat for 30 – 45 minutes (do not allow to boil). Allow the soup to cool slightly, remove half and puree in a food processor or hand-held blender. Return puree to saucepan and whisk together. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Thicken to desired consistency with tomato paste. Whisk in heavy cream. Top with parsley and serve with bread or grilled cheese. You could do the whole crouton thing (aka grilled or otherwise crispy bread), but I prefer a nice fresh soft bread with my tomato soup.
enjoy.
