The Best Type Of Tomatoes For Creamy, 5-Star Tomato Soup

Creamy, velvety tomato soup is truly comforting food for the soul. I can't tell you how many bowls I've eaten over the course of my 40-plus years of life — especially when I serve it alongside an indulgent gooey grilled cheese for an epic dunking experience on a snowy day. And whether it's served as a spicy cold gazpacho or ladled piping hot into your favorite decorative bowl of choice, fresh tomatoes on the vine make an excellent base for a five-star tomato soup. 

A tomato on the vine is exactly what it sounds like: a tomato that's still attached to the stem. Tomatoes can be harvested as soon as their shade turns from green to yellow — this is called the "breaker stage," indicating that the fruit is producing ethylene, a natural plant hormone that causes ripening. Keeping a tomato's stems attached not only continues the ripening process, but also slows moisture loss, helping to prolong their shelf life. The tomatoes you see in your local supermarket are often harvested at breaker stage so they can still mature during the shipping process without damaging or spoiling as easily.

Using vine-ripened tomatoes — whether home-grown, from your local grocery store, or farmers' market — is the key to making an incredible tomato soup. This is especially true when they're at their summer peak, offering naturally sweeter and more intense flavors, as well as juicy pulp. And depending on your desired flavor profile, there are plenty of tomatoes to choose from. Generally speaking, smaller tomatoes tend to have a higher concentration of sugars; cherry and grape tomatoes being the sweetest, while larger beefsteak tomatoes carry more water and mild flavor. San Marzano tomatoes, which many chefs swear by, give a depth of flavor with their meaty sweetness and low seed count. Yellow tomatoes are also more milder and sweeter in flavor due to lower acidity — not to mention they give tomato soup a beautiful golden hue. Whatever variety you choose, soup enthusiasts should take full advantage of fresh vine-ripened tomatoes when they've reached their maximum peak during the summer months.

On-the-vine tomatoes also offer great versatility when cooking. Roast them at a high temperature in the oven with garlic and onion (our go-to method for a sensational tomato soup), or any accompanying spices or herbs of your choosing. Blanch them in boiling water before peeling the skins for an especially velvety soup, or simply chop and season with salt before pureeing. For another layer of sweetness and spice, blend them with roasted bell peppers. Or, do as seasoned pro chef Alex Guarnaschelli does, and blend vine-ripened tomatoes with canned tomatoes for maximum depth flavor — a perfect pairing for the winter months when fresh tomatoes are out of season.