On a visit to Budapest a few years ago I headed to its famous Central Market, a glorious Art Nouveau structure reminiscent of Barcelona’s Boqueria Market. I waded among stalls heaped with tomatoes, cabbages, and peppers in every size, and a seemingly endless variety of sausages, my appetite stoked by the aromas of paprika and smoky bacon. Heading toward one of the simple eateries, I was at a loss for what to order until I noticed that almost everyone was having tomato soup.

Once I tasted it, I was sure that the soup’s intense flavor had to come from fresh tomatoes. Then I saw the busy cook reach for a couple of giant cans of tomatoes and dump them into a huge pot sizzling with onions and garlic. I was relieved that I wouldn’t have to try to sneak Hungarian tomatoes into my suitcase to duplicate the soup at home. On my return to New York, I started my quest for the best canned tomatoes. Once I began cooking, I discovered that recreating this deeply flavored soup was as simple as starting with a sauté of aromatics and finishing with a purée in a blender to create the silky texture.

Using canned tomatoes takes the guesswork out of these soups.During the winter months, canned tomatoes taste infinitely better than any fresh ones you’ll find in the market. Even during tomato season, canned might be the best option for soup, as you might want to save vine-ripened red beauties for eating raw. Canned tomatoes can be fresh tasting and firm, but you must choose carefully; they vary widely by brand and come in many forms (see “Canned whole tomatoes,” below). At first, I tried puréed tomatoes because I was going for a creamy soup, but I found that most brands had a metallic taste. After some experimenting, I found that whole peeled tomatoes give these soups a flavor closest to that of fresh tomatoes.

Canned whole tomatoes

最好品尝一些品牌的西红柿品牌来找到您最喜欢的罐头罐头。寻找具有水果味和酸度平衡的西红柿，并且不太咸或加工过。对我来说，缪尔·格伦（Muir Glen）的有机李子西红柿最能与新鲜西红柿的味道相匹配。

Starting with a sauté of aromatics adds complexity to these simple soups.在少量油中烹饪洋葱，大蒜，胡椒粉或芹菜，直到释放味道为成品汤增添了深度。您可以通过更改所使用的蔬菜来改变风味基础。在我的经典版本中，我只要求洋葱和大蒜。添加芹菜和红色的胡椒粉会增加风味。在我的西南版本中，我烤红色的胡椒粉以增加甜味。

这些汤将它们提升为特殊的东西。Many traditional creamy soups are thickened with cream, but I’ve found that a blender creates a light-bodied yet velvety soup. When puréeing hot liquids, though, you do need to take care to prevent an overflow (see panel below).

Great served simply, these soups gain an added dimension when topped with a garnish. But these embellishments don’t have to be fancy or fussy. My bowl of soup at the Hungarian market needed nothing more than a dollop of sour cream. For a nice textural contrast, you can add a few homemade croutons or crunchy fried tortillas. In the summer, I like to finely dice fresh tomatoes and add a mince of fresh herbs. For garnishes with a few more ingredients, see individual recipes.

Purée with care

Be sure to purée in small batches and crack the blender lid slightly (or remove the center cap from the lid). Steam can build up once you start blending, and if the lid is on tight or the blender is overfilled, it will spray hot soup all over you and your kitchen. For protection, cover the top with a dishtowel while puréeing.