# Tomato soup, skins or not?



## BML

I saw a recipe for Tomato soup that set out what one had to do and at the end it said to put the result through a blender.  Would this cut up what I thought would be tough Tomato skins?


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## Kayelle

Hi and welcome BML. I just can't imagine not removing the skins for tomato soup. Even using a blender, the thought of itty bitty bits of skins wouldn't be something I'd want in a nice tomato soup. Cut a shallow X in the bottom of your tomatoes and drop into boiling water for 10 seconds to easily skin them. Easy peasy.


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## blissful

I've removed skins and seeds from tomatoes, but in our family, we don't bother, and we use a hand blender which cuts them up small and they aren't noticeable to us. You would have a difficult time identifying a tiny bit of skin, unless you had a microscope. I love a good tomato soup, a little cream or milk, a little onion, a little carrot for sweetness, and just the right amount of salt and pepper.

A blender is great for that. Just be careful if you are using it with hot liquids, use a towel on top and don't get burned.


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## GotGarlic

When I want to remove tomato skins, I cut the tomatoes in half and grate them on a box grater. Super easy and no boiling or ice water necessary.


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef

My recipe for cream of tomato soup:


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## Kayelle

blissful said:


> I've removed skins and seeds from tomatoes, but in our family, we don't bother, and we use a hand blender which cuts them up small and they aren't noticeable to us. You would have a difficult time identifying a tiny bit of skin, unless you had a microscope. I love a good tomato soup, a little cream or milk, a little onion, a little carrot for sweetness, and just the right amount of salt and pepper.
> 
> A blender is great for that. Just be careful if you are using it with hot liquids, use a towel on top and don't get burned.



Goes to show how much I know Bliss.  I've never actually made tomato soup from fresh tomatoes.  Your soup sounds great.
Actually this recipe (exactly as written but less sugar) is the best TS I've ever had and I use the recipe often.
http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f56/tomato-soup-nodak-style-93477.html


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## Steve Kroll

I've made it both ways. If I'm making it for myself, I don't care whether the skins are in it or not. If I'm making it for company I cook up the rough chopped tomatoes, and then run them through a food mill. You can also press them through a chinois, fine sieve, or even a strainer with the back of a wooden spoon. Not a lot of extra work.


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## medtran49

I cut the tomatoes in half horizontally, squeeze out the seeds, salt and pepper, toss with a bit of olive oil, then roast cut side down.  Let them cool and the skins slip right off.


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## bethzaring

blissful said:


> I've removed skins and seeds from tomatoes, but in our family, we don't bother, and we use a hand blender which cuts them up small and they aren't noticeable to us. You would have a difficult time identifying a tiny bit of skin, unless you had a microscope. I love a good tomato soup, a little cream or milk, a little onion, a little carrot for sweetness, and just the right amount of salt and pepper.
> 
> A blender is great for that. Just be careful if you are using it with hot liquids, use a towel on top and don't get burned.





+1


There is a certain amount of vitamins and minerals, and certainly fiber, in skins.  I incorporate skins as much as possible.


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## Andy M.

I've never made tomato soup with fresh tomato.  I use canned.  If I did use fresh, I think I'd skin them first.


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## Rocklobster

Skins and all..no probs


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## tenspeed

Why not?  If you don't want to peel tomatoes, then don't.  After all, you are the Irving Berlin of your tomato skin (Sorry - I think I have watched too many Chef John - foodwishes.com videos).

  A friend makes apple crisp with the apple skins on the cut wedges.  It tastes just as good as a peeled version.  Mrs. T decided that it is a terrific labor saver, and never peels apples any more.


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## Kayelle

tenspeed said:


> Why not?  If you don't want to peel tomatoes, then don't.  *After all, you are the Irving Berlin of your tomato skin (Sorry - I think I have watched too many Chef John - foodwishes.com videos).
> *
> A friend makes apple crisp with the apple skins on the cut wedges.  It tastes just as good as a peeled version.  Mrs. T decided that it is a terrific labor saver, and never peels apples any more.



 You and me both. 
He's terrific.


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## Cheryl J

Kayelle said:


> Goes to show how much I know Bliss.  I've never actually made tomato soup from fresh tomatoes.  Your soup sounds great.
> Actually this recipe (exactly as written but less sugar) is the best TS I've ever had and I use the recipe often.
> http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f56/tomato-soup-nodak-style-93477.html



I remember that fun thread, and just re-read it.  Thanks for bringing this back up, Kay. It disappeared off my radar and now that the weather is cooling down, I'm definitely making it.


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## taxlady

Kayelle said:


> Goes to show how much I know Bliss.  I've never actually made tomato soup from fresh tomatoes.  Your soup sounds great.
> Actually this recipe (exactly as written but less sugar) is the best TS I've ever had and I use the recipe often.
> http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f56/tomato-soup-nodak-style-93477.html





Cheryl J said:


> *I remember that fun thread, and just re-read it*.  Thanks for bringing this back up, Kay. It disappeared off my radar and now that the weather is cooling down, I'm definitely making it.


Me too. That soup really is yummy and will be made soon at my house. And yes, thank you Kay for reminding us of that soup.


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## Mad Cook

BML said:


> I saw a recipe for Tomato soup that set out what one had to do and at the end it said to put the result through a blender.  Would this cut up what I thought would be tough Tomato skins?


Personally, I'd say without.


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## larry_stewart

I just recently made a tomato soup, where the recipe said leave the skins on ( the soup will be blended at the end , so it didn't matter).  Well, it mattered    The soup i made is supposed to be smooth and creamy, and  although not the end of the world, some of the skins avoided the blender blades, and it wasn't very pleasant when they found there way into my mouth.  I wound up straining the rest of the soup, which removed any remaining skins.  I just recently made the soup a second time.  This time I removed the skins in advance.  Much more pleasant experience.

So,if you have a great blender , or are going to strain the soup, then go right ahead.    If not, I suggest removing the skins.

If you don't mind the texture of the tomato skins in a creamy soup, then knock yourself out.


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## Termy

I don't want tomato skins in any of my food. Seeds are almost as bad and so is that clear goop in the middle. 

Ideally you blanche the tomato witch makes the skin crack and separate from the meat. Then cut the tomato in half equatorially. That is like the equator of the earth. Separate the top and bottom, not the sides. This exposes all that and all you do it squeeze. And not even that hard. You can discard the clear gook and seeds then. Your sauce or whatever will be made from the meat. There is a small hard spot near where the stem was, I get then out later because they are always cut up more. Once the half is cut in half it is easy. I don't want the "customer" to have to be careful or whatever. 

T


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## dragnlaw

hello 2017
no question in my mind - no skin

but...  if you think the skin is going to add more flavour then, like Larry, be prepared to strain.


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## blissful

dragon, I actually have always and still do blend my tomatoes using an oster blender and I can't find actual pieces of tomato skins. It really surprised me when Larry said he had blended a soup and still found skin pieces because I thought he had an oster blender too. Maybe I leave it in blending long enough that it makes the skin tiny and also cuts the seeds. 



I don't take the skins and seeds out and I've never had a complaint or even notice it. I do it for nutritional reasons. If you google "nutritional value of tomato skins and seeds" you'll see how much nutrition is getting thrown out. Not everyone cooks or eats for nutrition. Some people eat for flavor. Sometimes texture or volume make a difference to people. Boredom and variety can affect why and how people eat. 



I prefer eating for nutrition and flavor. I saw a really nice tomato cabbage soup in looking at today's threads. I'm probably going to make it later today after we pickle some cucumbers.


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## larry_stewart

I actually have a vitamix , but I was and still am too lazy to transfer so I just used my immersion blender, which definitely doesn't have he horsepower.  MY guess is the vitamin would do the job, but. the immersion blender did not.  
***MY immersion blender is old and cheap, so its possible a newer better one would do the job***


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## blissful

I hear you on that Larry. I had cheap $10 immersion blenders that did a truly fabulous job on tomato sauces, but then I used them for making soap and other things, and after many years, I wore them out. So I bought what I thought was a better immersion blender but it doesn't do tomatoes for me. The original ones that I really liked are proctor silex. So I can smooth an asparagus soup somewhat but not as well as the loud blender.


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## GotGarlic

Termy said:


> I don't want tomato skins in any of my food. Seeds are almost as bad and so is that clear goop in the middle.
> 
> Ideally you blanche the tomato witch makes the skin crack and separate from the meat. Then cut the tomato in half equatorially. That is like the equator of the earth. Separate the top and bottom, not the sides. This exposes all that and all you do it squeeze. And not even that hard. You can discard the clear gook and seeds then. Your sauce or whatever will be made from the meat. There is a small hard spot near where the stem was, I get then out later because they are always cut up more. Once the half is cut in half it is easy. I don't want the "customer" to have to be careful or whatever.
> 
> T


Cooks Illustrated conducted double-blind taste tests (where neither the tasters nor the testers know who tasted which samples) of tomato sauces made with and without the "gook." The clear winner was the sauce made with the gel. There's a lot of flavor in there.

I quit blanching and shocking tomatoes years ago. I now core them, halve them vertically (through the blossom and stem ends) and put them skin side up on a sheet pan, then broil them till the skins blacken. Then it's easy to remove the skins with tongs. I put the tomatoes in the blender for a few seconds, just to cut them up a little, and freeze in quart size zipper-lock bags. So much easier than dealing with a pot of boiling water and a bowl of ice water.


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## karadekoolaid

I see no reason to discard the skins and seeds _unless_ it is for aesthetic reasons. And the only time I do si is when I make Heston Blumenthal´s confit tomatoes, which are to die for!


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## CharlieD

I used use tomatoes, until one day I was served tomato soup that i really enjoyed. I asked for recipe and was surprised how easy it was. It used tomato juice. Since then, it is my to go recipe. The whole family loves it, served with grill cheese sandwiches. No dealing with roasting tomatoes. No dealing with skin, which I hate.


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## msmofet

CharlieD said:


> I used use tomatoes, until one day I was served tomato soup that i really enjoyed. I asked for recipe and was surprised how easy it was. It used tomato juice. Since then, it is my to go recipe. The whole family loves it, served with grill cheese sandwiches. No dealing with roasting tomatoes. No dealing with skin, which I hate.


What else is in the recipe, charlie?


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## Bitser

Never skinned a tomato.  

Never will.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North

The best flavored tomato sauce I had was made by my daughter, P.A.G.  it was ab eye opener for me.  As store bough tomatoes lack rich flavor, I have always used Di Fratelli brand tomato puree, and crushed tomatoes to make my sauce, unless I had fresh tomato from my garden to work wit,  Sore purchased cherry, and grape tomatoes have great flavor.  P.A.G. filled a large Dutch oven, with grape tomatoes, added a cup of water, and simmered until the tomatoes broke down.  The pot was covered.  I like chunky sauces, with mushrooms, onions, and tomato bits running through the sauce.  The skins don't bother me, and I love the extra flavor from them, and the tomato caviar.  Fresh oregano, basil, onion, sautéed mushrooms, fresh thyme, and rosemary, along with minced garlic were added.  This is my normal sauce of choice, except for the cooked down grape tomatoes.  The rich flavor of this sauce was outstanding.  In my opinion, it tastes so good, you won't even notice the tomato skins.  And, if the skins are objectionable to you, simply hit the sauce with an immersion blender before adding the herbs, spices, veggies, and any meat.

When serving with pasta, add a half cup of the pasta water to the sauce, then let it reduce to your desired thickness.  This will help the sauce stick to the pasta better.  i also like this sauce to go with meatballs, or in a meatball sub, or ove4r home made raviolis.  if I add peppers, and red pepper flakes, This makes a good pizza sauce as well.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## Bitser

The day's pick from the greenhouse.  I'll make fresh tomato soup tonight.  I halve them and cut out the hard bit on the stem end, then slice them into 1-inch chunks.  







After they simmer for an hour or so, I cream the soup with an immersion  blender (Braun, which does a great job).  I don't even notice the skins.
I'll roast some red pepper for tonight's pot.


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## pepperhead212

Gazpacho is a favorite soup of mine in the summer, and I leave the skins on everything - tomatoes, cukes, and peppers. Seeds out of peppers and cukes, but not tomatoes.  Something I discovered soon after getting my Vitamix was that skins and seeds pretty much disappeared, from tomatoes, as well as chile peppers - harder skins and larger seeds.  I used to press chile pastes through a medium fine strainer, to get that skin and seeds out, after blending in the Osterizer I always used, and always got the seeds, and little bits of skin.  The first time in the Vitamix, absolutely nothing was strained out - the skin and seeds disappeared!  The same happens with tomatoes, though sometimes I want some texture, depending on what I'm making.  Still, I never skin them, or "seed" them, as that is the most flavorful part of the tomatoes, in that gel - the reason I'm not crazy about plum tomatoes, though they have their uses.


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## bethzaring

The first time I ever canned tomatoes, 45 years ago?, I dutifully followed the directions; dip tomatoes in boiling water....after about 10 minutes of this I said to my self, this is nonsense.  Why am I intentionally discarding the source of the majority of fiber, vitamins and minerals, and who knows what else?  Most/all vegetables and fruits I do not peel.  When canning tomato juice, V8 juice, tomato sauce, spaphetti/pizza sauce, I use a sturdy blender and whiz the various vegetables until smooth.


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## Termy

"Cooks Illustrated conducted double-blind taste tests (where neither the  tasters nor the testers know who tasted which samples) of tomato sauces  made with and without the "gook." The clear winner was the sauce made  with the gel. There's a lot of flavor in there."

Hmmm, my sauce got much better when I left out the gunk. It also did not make a crust on top as much. Is it just personal preference ? 

T


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## GotGarlic

Termy said:


> "Cooks Illustrated conducted double-blind taste tests (where neither the  tasters nor the testers know who tasted which samples) of tomato sauces  made with and without the "gook." The clear winner was the sauce made  with the gel. There's a lot of flavor in there."
> 
> Hmmm, my sauce got much better when I left out the gunk. It also did not make a crust on top as much. Is it just personal preference ?
> 
> T


Probably. They test their recipes with a group of people to get a consensus about what several people think. Any individual could disagree, of course.


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## larry_stewart

My general rule of thumb is, if I'm intending on using my immersion blender, skins off ( or strain afterwards), if it goes into the Vitamin skins on.  General rule for me.  There are exceptions.

Gaspacho = Vitamix, cuke skins off, and seeded. Tomatoes in as is, peppers seeded, not skinned


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## taxlady

I only take out the gel and seeds because they seem to be the part that has the most tomatine, which is what aggravates my arthritis. I still don't eat tomatoes very often anymore.


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## Bitser

Left the skins on and used a good immersion blender.


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## CharlieD

msmofet said:


> What else is in the recipe, charlie?





Onion, carrots, bell peppers, all cut very finely and sautéed. To thicken, flour is used. Tomato juice and water is 1:1. When all of that is ready, small amount of rice added. Served with sour cream


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## blissful

For future meals, especially for white mushroom lasagna, I canned tomesol tomatoes into sauce. They are considered a white tomato but the sauce looks more yellow than white, still pretty and different.


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## larry_stewart

blissful said:


> For future meals, especially for white mushroom lasagna, I canned tomesol tomatoes into sauce. They are considered a white tomato but the sauce looks more yellow than white, still pretty and different.



Looks great, how does the taste compare to 'regular' tomatoes ?  or is there little to no difference ?


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## blissful

Larry, Mr bliss and I walked into the kitchen and tasted the partial jar alone (it was unsalted) and with a tiny bit of salt. It was magnificent, a little sweeter than regular red tomato sauce. He liked it so much he is having the partial jar with spaghetti and diced peppers, and black beans, with zaatar, and a tiny bit of salt for his late lunch. I would consider it a great success. We're going to save seeds (if you want any) and grow them again next year. Out of our 5 types of tomatoes, the tomesol came in 3rd for productivity and beauty.


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