How to Make Trader Joe’s Tomato Soup Recipe at Home

Trader Joe’s is one of the more unique American grocery chains that was established in the late 1960s in Pasadena, California. Its name references the founder – Joe Coulombe. The number of existing Trader Joe’s grocery stores exceeds 560, and they have been ranked among the top-scoring chains of grocery stores by Consumer Reports. Trader Joe’s tends to keep their supermarkets smaller and offers a variety of prepared foods and traditional grocery items, depending on its location. Trader Joe’s has also been ranked by Glassdoor among the best places to work for several years running.

As a grocery store, Trader Joe’s is somewhat different, implementing unique marketing techniques and selling many of its own private label products – priced well-below competitor brand-name equivalents. For example, Trader Joe’s private labels often reflect the cultural ethnicity of the food item – i.e., for Italian food, Trader’s private label is known as Trader Giotto’s; French food is branded Trader Jacques; Mexican food items are branded as Trader Jose’s, and so forth.

By selling a large variety of its products branded under its own labels, Trader Joe’s circumvents the proverbial middle man and purchases directly from vendors – creating a way to offer cost-effective, unique, and delicious prepared and grocery store items.

Among the many Trader Joe’s delectable products is their line of boxed soups. Trader Joe’s Tomato Soup recipe is a warm and inviting light lunch or a starter at dinner time.

Getting Ready to Make Trader Joe’s Tomato Soup Recipe

This delicious soup is ready in only a half-hour and is warm and satisfying on a cold winter day.

• Preparation Time – 5 minutes.
• Cooking Time – 25 minutes.
• Total time – 30 minutes.
• Serves – Approximately 10.

The Ingredients Used to Make Trader Joe’s Tomato Soup Recipe

The following ingredients are needed to craft this delicious tomato soup that easily competes with Trader Joe’s Tomato Soup in a box –

• 4 Tablespoons of Salted Butter.
• 2 Cups of Chopped Onion.
• 4 Garlic Cloves – Coarsely Chopped.
• 2 Tablespoons of Tomato Paste.
• 2 – 28-oz. Cans of Whole Tomatoes.
• 3 Cups of Chicken Broth.
  Pro-tip – use vegetable broth to keep the recipe vegetarian-friendly.
• 1 Teaspoon of Kosher Salt.
• 1/2 Cup of Fresh Basil -Roughly Chopped.
• 1/2 Cup of Heavy Cream.
• Additional Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste

Optional Toppings for Trader Joe’s Tomato Soup Recipe

Tomato soup is a warm meal that goes with almost anything. For example, you can use some red pepper flakes for a spicier version of the Trader Joe’s Tomato Soup recipe. Try these other suggestions –

• For something crunchy, top with –
  • Pretzels.
  • Pumpkin seeds.
  • Goldfish crackers.
  • Tortilla Strips, among others.
• For a topping that is creamy and adds a more subtle flavor, consider these options –
  • Avocado slices.
  • Cheese that is grated.
  • Sour cream, to name a few.
• And for those who want to add a protein as a topping to this tomato soup, try –
  • Chickpeas.
  • Bacon bits.
• If you want to make the meal a bit heartier, consider adding –
  • Pasta of any kind.
  • Short-grain brown rice, which is both soft and tender.
  • Quinoa

Cooking Instructions for Trader Joe’s Tomato Soup Recipe

1. In a Dutch oven (or large saucepan) saute the chopped onions and garlic in butter over medium heat until the onions become translucent. This should take a few minutes.
2. Stir in the 2 tablespoons of tomato paste.
3. Continue to stir the onion/garlic/tomato paste mixture as it cooks.
4. When the onion and tomato base turns brown, pour in the chicken (or vegetable) stock and add the kosher salt.
5. Then, with a wooden spoon or spatula, scrape the caramelized onion, tomato, and garlic bits from the bottom of the pan.
   Pro-tip – These bits stuck to the bottom are where this tomato soup’s deep flavor is created.
6. Add both cans of whole tomatoes. Include the juice and bring the base of the soup to a boil
7. When the soup base reaches a boil, add the kosher salt.
8. Reduce the heat to low.
9. Simmer the tomato soup for 10 additional minutes.

Don’t Forget to Puree

1. This delicious tomato soup now needs to be pureed. The easiest way to accomplish this objective is to use an immersion blender because this pureeing process can be done within the Dutch oven or large pot.
   Pro-tip – This tomato soup can be transferred in small batches to be pureed in a food processor or blender. But note – and this is important – make sure to allow the soup to cool a bit before pureeing and only fill your blender or food processor half full. The reason to allow the soup to cool is a) this is dangerous and b) hot liquids expand and can cause a mess that covers the walls, cabinets, ceiling, your dog, and you!
2. After the mixture is pureed, add the chopped basil. If using an immersion blender, just pulse the blender a few times to ensure the basil evenly incorporates into the soup.
3. Whisk in heavy cream.
4. Season this heavenly tomato soup with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
5. Ladle into bowls and serve hot.

FAQs

Can You Freeze Trader Joe’s Tomato Soup Recipe?

The reality is that when milk or cream is added as a soup thickener – when frozen, the milk proteins may separate from the rest of the liquids. However, there are ways to help overcome this potential freezer mishap.

First, always make sure the tomato soup has cooled entirely. [This helps to extend the soup’s shelf life.] When cooled, pour the soup into a rigid plastic container with an airtight lid. Leave about two inches of space to allow for the soup to expand when frozen. Date the soup container and use it within a month or so.

What is the Nutritional Value of Trader Joe’s Tomato Soup Recipe?

Each serving of Trader Joe’s tomato soup has 134 calories. This serving is comprised of 7 grams of protein, more than 10 grams of fiber, 28 grams of sodium, and only approximately 3 grams of sugar. There are about 10 grams of total fat; however, nearly half is the healthier unsaturated fats.

You can also read:

• How To Make Trader Joe’s Autumn Harvest Soup Recipe At Home
• How To Make Trader Joe’s Lentil Soup with Ancient Grains Recipe at Home
• How to Make the Cafe Rio Tortilla Soup Recipe at Home
• How to Make Culver’s Tomato Florentine Soup Recipe at Home
• How to Make Carrabba’s Tomato Basil Soup Recipe at Home
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