Triple tomato soup packs the most tomato flavor into a simple dish

Inspiration is a funny thing — elusive when you need it, forthcoming when you don’t, inevitably at inconvenient hours. The idea for this Triple Tomato Soup came to me while I was (a) on vacation and studiously trying (and failing) to avoid anything work-related, and (b) studiously trying (and failing) to fall asleep.

Once the notion surfaced, I gave up attempting to force it back down and let my brain jump ahead to how I might want to make it. Crushed red pepper flakes and fennel seeds were a must. Could I use an entire can of whole, peeled tomatoes, including the juices, for easy pantry planning? Yup. Should I find yet another excuse to pull out the tube of umami-rich tomato paste I always have in the fridge? You bet.

Yet the inkling that I was most excited about was using sun-dried tomatoes — an entire jar of them. And thus was born the trifecta of the Triple Tomato Soup.

I know some people are more than happy to dismiss sun-dried tomatoes as a passing fad, but I’ve always loved these sweet, tart gems that, like tomato paste, are loaded with glutamates, a family of chemicals primarily responsibly for creating the umami sensation of full savory flavor.

I also know that, like me, our readers tend to already have too many half-empty containers of condiments and preserved this or that cluttering their fridge — and are, understandably, reluctant to purchase one more to add to the collection. So I decided to go all-in on the sun-dried tomatoes, tipping in the entire jar, along with most of the oil, preferably olive, they’re packed in.

It turned out even better than I expected. In this soup, rather than loudly announcing their presence, the sun-dried tomatoes melt into the background, a shortcut to low- and slow-cooked flavor in a fraction of the time. (From start to finish, this soup is on the table in 40 minutes.) They also lend an appealing brick-red hue that radiates comfort — one that, if you choose, you can easily stash away in the freezer for on-demand meals on cold winter days. With a yield of about 7 cups, it’s an easy recipe to split down the middle to enjoy some now and more later.

The rest of the soup is what you most likely expect. After you sauté an onion in some of the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes, add in the garlic, tomato paste, oregano, and fennel seeds, and cook them until just fragrant. (Feel free to use your favorite dried herbs or skip the fennel seeds.) The tomato paste will turn enticingly dark, too.

Servings: 4-6 (makes about 7 cups)

Active time: 25 mins. Total time: 40 mins

Substitutions: Can’t find oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes? Use about 1 cup (5 ounces) sun-dried tomatoes, along with 2 tablespoons plain olive oil instead of the oil from the jar. Don’t like fennel? Leave it out. Dried oregano >> dried basil. Yellow onion >> white onion.

Variations: Want cream of tomato soup? Stir in 1/2 to 1 cup heavy cream when you pull the soup off the burner, before pureeing.

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.

Ingredients

One (7-ounce) jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, preferably in olive oil (see Where to buy and Substitutions)

1 medium yellow onion (8 ounces), diced

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste

4 cups low-sodium or no-salt-added vegetable broth

One (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes with their juices, preferably no-salt-added

Freshly ground black pepper

Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Fresh basil leaves, cut into ribbons, for serving

Directions

Remove the sun-dried tomatoes from the jar. Reserve the oil and coarsely chop the tomatoes.

In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the reserved oil until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and just starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, oregano, fennel seeds, and salt, and cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic is fragrant and the tomato paste darkens, 30 seconds to 1 minute. If the pot is looking dry, add a little more of the reserved oil, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes, followed by the broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the peeled tomatoes, tearing them into a few pieces as you put them in, along with their juices, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover and cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer, until the flavors meld, about 20 minutes.

Remove from the heat and let cool for a few minutes. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Taste, and season with black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes, if using, and more salt, as needed. Divide among individual bowls, top with the basil and serve.

Nutritional information per serving (generous 1 cup), based on 6: 146 calories, 8 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 17 g carbohydrates, 515 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 g protein, 3 g fiber, 4 g sugar.