Cold weather calls for soup! And since it’s chilly and blustery, a recipe for a small batch of tomato dill soup is just the thing. It’s rich, easy to make, and is ready in about an hour.
I’ve adapted this from The Silver Palate Cookbook (one of my favorites). However, I did make a few changes. The original recipe was for 8 to 10 portions (way too much). It also called for blending the soup in a food processor or food mill. First, I have neither. Second, we now have stick blenders! But then I realized I had an even better idea. Use crushed tomatoes instead of whole canned ones. I mean, why buy whole tomatoes if you are just going to crush them anyway? Right? Right.
The other thing about this small batch tomato dill soup: it requires very little time or fussing. Hardly any chopping required, and not a lot of ingredients either. But, there’s still lots of rich tomato and dill flavor, topped with a dollop of sour cream and more dill.
Note that the original recipe also called for fresh dill (as a must). But fresh dill is not all that fresh in the north this time of year. The good news, you can freeze it (which is what I had done). All you have to do is wash the dill, pat it dry, roll it in a paper towel, and then put it in a freezer proof storage bag or jar (I use empty Talenti gelato jars). Then you have dill ready to use any time you want.
Small Batch Tomato Dill Soup
Notes
Small batch tomato dill soup topped with sour cream.
Ingredients
- 2 T unsalted butter
- 3/4 C onions, chopped
- 1 small garlic clove, peeled, and minced
- 1 T fresh or frozen dill, chopped, plus a bit more for garnish (divided)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 pint chicken broth
- 8 oz crushed canned tomatoes
- generous pinch of sugar
- 1 tsp sour cream as garnish
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a 2 quart saucepan, on low heat, until melted.
- Add the chopped onions and continue cooking on low heat until the onions are soft (about 20 minutes)
- Add the garlic, stir, and cook another five minutes.
- Add half the dill (about 1 1/2 tsp), season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook another 15 minutes.
- Take the chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, and add that to the pot.
- Add a generous pinch of sugar (you may need more, depending on how sour or sweet your tomatoes are).
- Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook another 45 minutes.
- Taste and correct seasoning, adding more salt, pepper, or sugar as needed.
- Ladle into bowls and top with remainder of dill and a dollop of sour cream.
More Soup Recipes
Pasta e Fagioli Soup (Small Batch)
Lots of veggies, tomatoes, and beans, simmered slowly for a rich and satisfying soup. It’s practically a meal all by itself.
Moroccan Chicken and Lentil Soup
Yes, this is a Jewish soup (no matzo balls in sight). It does have chicken, but it’s flavored with sweet tomatoes, spicy/warm ginger, and turmeric.
An early example of food fusion. The British brought the meat and the Tamils added the spicy kick.