Since I’ve been making this soup, the tomato glut is no longer a double-edged sword. Requiring no special tomato peeling and seeding or fine chopping, I can get this soup going quickly and come back later to a bit of arm gymnasium, via the hand cranked Mouli. I have simplified the recipe so that I can remember the balance of ingredients, then whip it up at whim with consistent retro tasting results. Almost every ingredient has the number three in it. This quantity serves 8 – 10 people. Make a big load when you have a tomato glut or meet one in a Farmers Market. It freezes very well.
Moulin Rouge Tomato Soup – a retro styled soup, loved by children and elders alike.
- 3 kilos fresh vine ripened tomatoes. ( I used Rouge de Marmande tomatoes which have a fabulous depth of flavour and give off lots of juice )
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 large onions, chopped
- 3 small carrots, or around 300 gr, peeled and chopped
- 3 small celery sticks, chopped
- 3 or more large cloves garlic ( more is good!)
- 3 cups vegetable or chicken stock, or use water and a stock cube
- 3 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 torn bay leaf
- 2 teaspoons finely ground pepper, white pepper is best with this soup.
- 3 tablespoons chopped basil
Choose a large heavy bottomed soup pot. Heat the oil then add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic and cook on medium heat, stirring often to soften until the onion turns a pale golden colour. Add the chopped tomatoes, stir about and let them give off their juices for 5 minutes. Then add the tomato paste, stirring through, then the stock, bay leaf and salt. Bring to the boil then lower the heat and simmer on low with the lid off for 40 minutes of so.
Remove the pot from the heat. Lay a mouli over a bowl so that it sits neatly when the arms are extended. Sit the bowl on a tea towel so that it is stable. Ladle a cup at a time and turn the handle, pressing though as much as you can to extract colour and sweetness from the tomato, carrot and onion residue. You may need to pour off the pureed soup back into a clean and empty soup pot as you go, given the quantity. Don’t attempt to process or blend this soup- the flavour comes from the pressing.
When all the pureed soup is back in the pot, reheat, adding freshly ground pepper and chopped basil.
We like our soup straight, but adding cream gives it a different texture which is comforting on a cooler day.
Moulin Rouge Goes Flash
- briefly chargrill some sea scallops, halve them and place them in the centre of the soup before serving.
- serve with fingers of toast spread with tapenade.
- or with olive oil oven baked crostini, spread with gorgonzola, then briefly grill.
A popular red fix for a big weekend, sometimes known as the Cure.
ALMOST ITALIAN 
I grew up on tomato soup and despite some of it being the tinned variety, I still love it. I can imagine as good as this looks that it must taste amazing.
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It tastes real yet evokes that old canned flavour.
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When I was a kid the only soup we ever had was from a can or package, blah! This homemade soup lover thinks your tomato soup sounds wonderful. Tomato is definitely a favorite
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Mum made both kinds. heinz tomato soup and the real soup, which was a lamb shank barley thing with vegies. She still makes the latter at 93.
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This looks divine and I also am in love with that bowl. Might just have to make some of this when I have my passata machine out. Have you tried bottling it?
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No, I just bottle trad passata- but this has more body in it and sweetness from all the onion, carrot and celery bits. Freezing soup is my thing. Cut out the middle man. Come home tired, throw the frozen block in the pot, heat, pour a wine, turn on TV. Chillax.
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This tired little puppy got home from camping tonight and needed to quickly convert some tomatoes that were nearing their demise. Smells great! Will leave overnight to cool before putting through the passata machine.
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The colour of this is sensational, made my mouth water.
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Old school but very essentially summer.
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Once again, you turn simplicity into fabulous.
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Thankyou Signorina. It is like sipping the essence of summer.
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This looks fabulous! And I am so fond of white pepper. In Ireland and Scotland it was always salt and white pepper on tables at pubs and restaurants!
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White pepper needs to be reinstated.
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HEAVEN!! I am on this recipe….the color is amazing! It screams: “I’m yummy!”
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Thanks Diana- old school but so delicious.
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A perfect recipe for this time of the year. So wish I could ‘tolerate’ tomatoes in these quantities.
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Oh that’s a shame Liz. My second name could be tomato, I can eat them all day.
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Yum! Any new version of tomato soup is always good. I particularly like the added basil!
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Tomato soup was a favorite of Mom’s and I often made it for her when I visited. I have to admit it didn’t come close to this dish of yours. She liked mine but would have loved yours. That color says it all, Francesca.
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Stunning colors. Too perfect to eat.
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