Smoked Tomato Soup with Tomato Croutons and Basil Oil by Refettorio Harlem
Basil: 120 g, leaves and stems separated.
“The community that is built and nurtured around plates of food sustains the soul. And when we cook with a mindful approach to sustainability, we are showing love to the planet.”
Canola oil: 240 g
Beefsteak tomatoes: 450 g frozen tomatoes, defrosted.
Olive oil: 180 g cup olive oil + 1 tablespoon.
Thyme: 2 sprigs thyme, leaves stripped.
Baby onions: 2, approximately 12 oz, diced.
Garlic cloves: 6, sliced
Smoked paprika: 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon.
Cayenne pepper: ¼ teaspoon
Sherry vinegar: 60 g
Vegetable broth: 1 quart homemade vegetable scrap stock.
Black pepper
Stale bread: 120 g
"The community that is built and nurtured around plates of food sustains the soul. And when we cook with a mindful approach to sustainability, we are showing love to the planet."
Behind this recipe is a tip about what to do with tomatoes once they begin to soften. "As their texture changes past my preferences, I freeze them. Then, once I have a big enough batch, I defrost them and make soup or sauce."
Blanch the basil leaves in heavily salted water for 5 seconds and cool in ice water.
Squeeze out all the water from the basil leaves and add to a blender with ¾ tsp kosher salt and 1 cup canola oil.
Blend until thoroughly incorporated and then pass through a fine mesh sieve to separate the solids. Save the reserved basil pulp.
Set a smoker to 212 °F.
Arrange tomatoes on a rack on top of a foil lined baking sheet and drizzle with 60 g of olive oil, season with a tsp of kosher salt and a few cracks of black pepper and sprinkle with thyme leaves.
Smoke the tomatoes for 2 hours until the skins start cracking and peeling.
Peel the skin off of the tomatoes and reserve for the tomato powder.
Heat 60 g of olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat.
Once the oil is shimmering, add the basil stems and cook for 10 minutes.
Remove the basil stems and add the onions. Season with a tsp of salt and saute for 10 minutes, until soft and translucent, approximately 7-10 minutes.
Add the garlic, 1 tbsp smoked paprika and cayenne pepper and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.
Deglaze the pan with the sherry vinegar.
Add vegetable stock and the roasted tomatoes to the pot.
Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Thoroughly blend the soup with the reserved basil pulp with an immersion blender or a regular blender.
Mix in the remaining 60 g of olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning.
This soup can be stored in a refrigerator for up to 4 days or frozen and stored for up to 4 months.
Place the tomato skins in a single layer in a dehydrator set to 137 °F or on a rack above a sheet tray in an oven set to the lowest possible setting, typically around 176 °F. Dehydrate the skins until they are completely dry and crispy. In a dehydrator this will take approximately 5 hours, in an oven this will take around 1.5-2 hours.
Once the tomatoes are completely dry and cool, add them to a spice grinder and process until you are left with a fine powder.
Store in an airtight container.
Preheat an oven to 375 °F.
Cut the bread into 1 cm cubes, toss with the remaining 15 g of smoked paprika and 8 g kosher salt.
Toast the croutons in the oven for 5 minutes until golden brown on all sides. Remove from the oven and toss with 1-2 tbsp of tomato powder.
Divide the soup into bowls. Top each bowl with a drizzle of basil oil and a sprinkle of the tomato croutons.
This soup can be eaten hot or cold.
