Weeknight · Instant Pot · about 20 minutes

“Cold Open” Tomato Soup

Name: "Cold Open" Tomato Soup
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 can whole San Marzano tomatoes; 240 ml vegetable broth or water; 3 tbsp dried chopped onion; 1 ½ tsp granulated garlic; 1 tbsp dried basil; 1 tbsp dried parsley; 1 tsp jarred jalapeño; 3 g Diamond Crystal kosher salt; 1 tbsp lime juice; For the crema: a big handful of fresh basil (~3 tbsp, 6–7 g) to blend in at the end, and a generous drizzle of your best extra-virgin olive oil to finish

A bright San Marzano tomato soup, pressure-cooked and blended smooth — two ways. Finish it Southwestern, warmed with a little jalapeño and brightened with lime, or as a chilled crema di pomodoro al basilico, blended with fresh basil and finished with a thread of good olive oil. Pick a style with the toggle. Vegan and gluten-free.

~20 min total 4 min pressure Instant Pot method

Spoon cost

Time ●○○○○ Anytime

Instant PotVeganGluten-Free

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Units

Ingredients

Pressure, blend, then finish — two ways. A short cook melds the San Marzano tomatoes and aromatics; an immersion blender takes it smooth. From there the toggle decides the personality: Southwestern, warmed with jalapeño and brightened with lime, or a chilled crema di pomodoro al basilico, blended with fresh basil and finished with your best olive oil. Same tomato base; the last two minutes make it one soup or the other.

Method

Cook's notes

Two versions, one base. The Southwestern finish leans gazpacho-meets-Sonora — lime and a little chile — and is the one to serve hot or cold alongside tacos or a grain bowl. The crema is the Italian read: no chile, fresh basil blended in at the end, served cold in small cups with olive oil — a lovely summer antipasto or small first course.

No Instant Pot? Soup pot: everything in, bring to a boil, simmer covered, 20 minutes, then blend as written. You lose the walk-away, but not the soup.

Fresh basil goes in last. Basil's bright aroma cooks off under pressure, which is why the crema blends it in at the very end, off the heat — that's what keeps it green and perfumed. (The Southwestern version uses dried basil, which wants the cook to bloom.)

Heat, in the Southwestern version. Adjust the jalapeño so it warms the back of the throat rather than burns. Fresh jalapeños swing wildly in heat, so if you use fresh, taste after blending — once it's puréed in you can only balance it down (more tomato or broth), not pull it out.

San Marzano tomatoes are worth it here — sweeter and less acidic, which is most of the flavor.

Don't skimp on the olive oil. With no sauté step it's the soup's main fat — and fat is what carries tomato flavor. A drizzle in the bowl at the end (a must for the crema) is the difference between bright and flat.

Consistency: with the broth it pours like a classic tomato soup. For a thicker, spoon-standing bowl, start with half the broth; to thin a finished batch, stir in a little more.

Naturally vegan and gluten-free, and better the next day.

Easier, if you like

Canned crushed tomatoes work in place of whole (skip the breaking-up step).
Jarred jalapeños are the easy heat for the Southwestern version — no chopping fresh chiles.

Vegan and gluten-free as written

Vegan / gluten-free: it already is — for the crema, finish with olive oil or cashew cream rather than dairy.

Creamier: blend in a splash of coconut milk, cashew cream, or (for the crema) a spoon of mascarpone or cream for a lush tomato soup.