I am so pleased to share this delicious spicy tomato soup recipe with you, friends! Based on the Cajun trinity of onions, celery, and bell pepper for the flavor base as well as plenty of spices plus a roux for body, this is a comforting soup recipe perfect for cold weather.
There are countless variations of tomato soup on the Internet, so I want you to know what sets this particular Cajun one apart.
First, it is roux-based, which gives the dish a lovely body. It’s not thick like a cream soup, but it’s definitely more substantial than a traditional tomato one.
The spicing is really lovely here.
Not only does the flavor start with slowly cooking the trinity (onions, celery, bell pepper) in the roux, but the rest of the spicing really enhances the flavor.
The recipe also makes a LOT of soup. Perfect for feeding a large family or for ensuring there are leftovers to enjoy over rice the next day.
How To Make Spicy Tomato Soup
Like most soup recipes, this one is forgiving and easy to make.
I do want you to know what you’re getting into by providing an ingredient list and substitutions, a play-by-play of the procedure, as well as equipment recommendations and some variations.
The full recipe for this Cajun-inspired soup is down at the bottom of the post.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Flavor Base
oil: I used neutral vegetable oil. You can also use olive oil or even butter
flour: all-purpose flour is fine here. If you are gluten-free, substitute cornstarch
onions: I like sweet onions here. Yellow onions will work as well
celery: One of the three components of trinity. Don’t leave them out.
bell pepper: Green bell pepper is traditional, but ripe yellow, red, or orange bell peppers work as well and will yield a sweeter soup
Seasonings
Cajun seasoning: I use Tony Chachere’s with salt. Use your favorite
smoked paprika: use hot or sweet Spanish paprika for the best flavor, but “plain” paprika is fine. If you like things extra hot, use cayenne instead
(salt, pepper): The Tony Chachere’s I use contains salt, and I didn’t need to add additional. If your Cajun seasoning is salt-free, salt to taste, probably about 1/2-3/4 teaspoons. Add black pepper to taste if you like it
Main Ingredients
canned tomatoes: 2-28 oz cans. I use whole tomatoes, but feel free to go with diced or even crushed if that’s what you have. If you want to use fresh tomatoes, make sure they are super ripe. Take the peels off by plunging them in boiling water for about 60 seconds. Let them cool a few minutes, and the skins should peel off easily. You will most likely need an additional cup of liquid if you use fresh tomatoes.
chicken broth: You can also use vegetable stock or plain water. For a cream soup, substitute heavy cream
Balancing Flavors
vinegar: You can also use lemon juice instead
sugar: Any sweetener will do here. I used coconut sugar, but a squirt of honey or agave will work just as well. You shouldn’t need much, and you might not need it at all
Procedure
This is absolutely amazing! I used Slap Ya Mama (hot) and hot smoked Spanish paprika. It’s heavenly. I loved the addition of the red wine vinegar. I did add a touch of sugar at the end. This will definitely be a favorite in our house.
Reader and Soup Lover Dani Lynn
Soup is an easy thing to make, friends. Here’s the rundown for this spicy tomato version:
Make the roux. Add oil to a hot pan, and then add the flour.
Cook and stir over medium heat until it has taken on just a bit of color, about 5 minutes.
Saute aromatics. Aromatics are the flavor base of any soup. In the world of Cajun cuisine, we’re talking onion, celery, and green pepper, or “the trinity.”
Add the trinity and let soften for 5 minutes. Then add the spices and seasonings, and saute, saute, saute until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients. Canned tomatoes and chicken broth (or vegetable broth to keep it vegetarian). Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Smash up the tomatoes (if using fresh or whole) with the back of your spoon as they cook.
Simmer. This step is really easy because the stove does all the work. Let it gently simmer to help the flavors get to know one another and reduce the liquids to intensify the flavor.
Blend. You can either use an immersion blender or a counter top model. If using a counter top blender, blend in batches so you don’t overfill the container and make a mess and possibly burn yourself.
Use your blender or an immersion blender. Your soup will be smoother if using a blender, but you always have to be careful when blending hot liquids.
Adjust seasonings. Taste, and add vinegar and/or sugar to brighten the flavors.
This recipe makes a fair bit, so I use a 4-quart saucepan to make it.
I like to stir the roux with an angled wooden spatula. It’s great for scraping along the bottom of the pan so nothing sticks.
And an immersion blender makes pretty quick work of blending up your soup into a nice creamy texture.
Know that if you like super-smooth texture, a high-speed blender will give you the smoothest result, but for most jobs, an immersion blender works just fine.
Variations
Please feel free to switch up the flavorings in this soup.
If you prefer Mexican flavors, by all means add some cumin and or minced chipotles in adobo rather than the Cajun seasonings.
You can also skip the roux and just saute your aromatics in oil (or bacon fat if you like) and then continue with the recipe. It may have a touch less body, but it will still be delicious.
Use fully ripe bell peppers (red, yellow, or orange) in the trinity for a sweeter taste.
Make a tomato and red pepper soup by substituting 3 roasted and peeled red peppers for one of the cans of tomatoes.
So packed with flavor and so comforting. Made the full recipe and packed some away in the freezer for a rainy day!
Reader Beth
Tips and Tricks
If you don’t have Cajun seasoning, use some cayenne, garlic powder, thyme, and oregano
For a quick garnish, whip together a little heavy cream with a pinch or two of Cajun seasoning just until thickened. The thickened cream will float on top of the soup.
Serving Suggestions
I strongly recommend serving spicy tomato soup with either good homemade bread (my grits bread is pretty amazing) or a sandwich. A BLT would be a lovely accompaniment.
Garnish it with crispy bacon, croutons, crackers (homemade crackers or store-bought), or be super fancy and make a grilled cheese, then cut it up into small squares and float your grilled cheese croutons on top of your soup!
You could also add cooked rice or pasta for a little more bulk and chew.
Since it’s Cajun-inspired, add some red beans and some cooked Andoiulle and call it red beans and rice tomato soup.
However you decide to serve it, I do hope you make it. It is really tasty!
Spicy Tomato Soup Q & A
Is this tomato soup vegan?
As written, it is not. Keep it vegan by using vegetable stock or water in place of the chicken broth.
Is it gluten-free?
No. To keep it gluten-free, either make it without the roux or substitute cornstarch for the wheat flour in the roux.
If I don’t want to make this from scratch, how do I spice up canned tomato soup?
Add Cajun seasoning and some smoked paprika for a quickie version of this recipe.
How long will it keep in the fridge?
Store the soup, tightly covered, in the fridge for up to 7 days. For food safety, be sure to reheat it to at least 165F for at least 15 seconds.
Can I freeze it?
Yes, soup freezes really well. For easy storage, freeze portions in quart-sized zip-top bags. Carefully press out as much of the air as you can, freeze on a sheet pan, and then stack in the freezer for 3-4 months.
Questions
If you have any questions about this or any other recipe or post on the site, there are a few ways to get in touch.
You can leave a comment on the post, and I’ll be back in touch within 24 hours.
If your question is more pressing, don’t hesitate to email me, and I should be back in touch within 4 hours (unless I’m asleep) or often much more quickly than that.
Cajun Spiced Tomato Soup (with Grilled Cheese and Bacon Croutons)
Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
This makes a ton of spicy tomato soup--probably close to 2 quarts or even a bit more. Feel free to cut the recipe in half. You'll still have 4 nice-sized portions. The way the recipe is written, it is vegetarian. You can easily make it vegan by using oil for the cooking fat and using vegetable stock or water for the liquid.
Ingredients
4 Tablespoons vegetable oil
3 Tablespoons flour
1 medium-to-large yellow or sweet onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
I large bell pepper, chopped
3-4 1/2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon hot smoked paprika (or use cayenne)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (you may not need salt if your Cajun seasoning has salt in it)
2 28 oz cans whole tomatoes, , juice and all
1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth or stock, vegetable broth or stock or water
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
Instructions
Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven.
Add the flour and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it colors a bit, about 5 minutes.
Add the chopped vegetables and spices (cajun seasoning, hot paprika, pepper) and cook over medium heat until the vegetables are softened but not browned, another 5-7 minutes.
Add both cans of tomatoes and the liquid (stock or water). Bring to a boil, chopping up the tomatoes as the soup heats.
Blend with an immersion blender until smooth.
Simmer the soup for about 20 minutes.
Taste and adjust the spicing if necessary. Stir in the red wine vinegar and the sugar if needed.
Serve piping hot in mugs or bowls. Garnish as desired.
Notes
Keep the soup gluten-free by substituting cornstarch for the flour in the roux. Or don't make the roux and just saute the vegetables in oil before proceeding with the recipe.
Store in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
Yield 8Serving Size 1 cup Amount Per ServingCalories 303Total Fat 17.9gSaturated Fat 8.9gCholesterol 46mgCarbohydrates 22.6gFiber 4.7gSugar 10.5gProtein 14.8g
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What Others Are Saying...
Beth Annesays
Comfort Food Haiku:
Tasty soup is good.
Cheese bacon croutons still better.
Lunch makes me happy.
I knew it was a fleur de lis, who wouldn’t? Sounds delightful and reads like poetry 🙂 I don’t think I could improve on it, so I’ll leave the recipe and the poetry to you, but thanks for the haiku’s and links to prose. I think there is nothing so comforting as soup….
My soup
My warmy bowl
My pleasing coup
Of liquid soul
I spoon with you
While other meals
Please with ease
Their preparation
Gyrations
Do not bend my will
To ‘said’ meal
Perfected only
By tonics and libations
My soup
Sits tall
With what I need
For when it calls
I simply heed
And, indeed,
It will feed
Me
What a gorgeous soup and tribute to the Trinity! And, for your reading pleasure, the soup poem I just wrote.
Fragrant broth from meaty bones
simmering stovetop, steaming up windows
warming the kitchen with anticipation
softened vegetables, tender meat
I dip my rounded spoon, breaking the delectable surface,
just a thin sheen of oil
And slurp
What a feast! I learned so much from this Mardi Gras parade of facts, fun, and inspiration, and even got a homemade freshly baked poem! I did not know that croutons could be delicious: I think of them as dry dusty cubes in a box at the back of someone’s pantry, but you reminded me that they can be tasty cheesy upgrades of the saltine crackers that lift up soup around here.
Sorry, but not a big fan of this soup. Maybe I’m just a purist who loves Tomato Basil soup. I guess I like tomato soup, and spicy things, just not in the same bowl. I also thought the Pepper gave the soup an awkward taste. I was able to salvage it by adding 3 more cans of Tomatoes, heavy whipping cream, brown sugar, minced garlic, fresh basil, parsley and a thyme.
This is absolutely amazing! I used Slap Ya Mama (hot) and hot smoked Spanish paprika. It’s heavenly. I loved the addition of the red wine vinegar. I did add a touch of sugar at the end. This will definitely be a favorite in our house.
Beth Anne says
Comfort Food Haiku:
Tasty soup is good.
Cheese bacon croutons still better.
Lunch makes me happy.
🙂
Jennifer Field says
Soup and haiku, they go together like cheese and bacon! =) Hooray for your haiku, Beth, and thank you for stopping in! xo
Amy Stafford Malik says
I knew it was a fleur de lis, who wouldn’t? Sounds delightful and reads like poetry 🙂 I don’t think I could improve on it, so I’ll leave the recipe and the poetry to you, but thanks for the haiku’s and links to prose. I think there is nothing so comforting as soup….
Jennifer Field says
Like they say, soup is good food! I still felt the need to explain the fleur de lis. I’m glad you knew what it was though! =)
Warren Baker says
My soup
My warmy bowl
My pleasing coup
Of liquid soul
I spoon with you
While other meals
Please with ease
Their preparation
Gyrations
Do not bend my will
To ‘said’ meal
Perfected only
By tonics and libations
My soup
Sits tall
With what I need
For when it calls
I simply heed
And, indeed,
It will feed
Me
Jennifer Field says
Huzzah, Warren! A warmy bowl indeed! =)
irene seales says
avgolemono
soothes my aching soul and mind
lemon playlist heals
Jennifer Field says
One of my favorites, Irene! xo
Valerie Cathell Clark says
Ode to Soup
Soup:
A comfort to me
Whether a broth or a cream,
It tastes like heaven
Or so it would seem,
It warms the body
And feeds my soul,
It fortifies the body
Soup keeps me whole,
On a cold and dreary day
Soup chases my blues far far away,
My mother made potato
A soup I ate when ill,
Today when I eat soup
It takes away the chil,l
Soup is good food
No matter when I eat it,
I’ll always turn to soup
As long as I see fit!
Here’s mine! I’m not a poet; I’ll leave that to the pros! But I did make myself chuckle while writing this… xo
GREAT spicy soup recipe!
Jennifer Field says
This is fantastic! Thanks so much for the wonderful poem, and enjoy the soup! =)
movita beaucoup says
My city is frozen,
I should be dozin’,
But I’ve got shovelling and eating to do.
{Not an ode really, just a cry for help.}
{Please send soup.}
Jennifer Field says
Man, our driveway, which is a HILL, is a sheet of ice. Perhaps I shall pour soup on it, Movita! I feel your pain, my friend!
Stacy says
What a gorgeous soup and tribute to the Trinity! And, for your reading pleasure, the soup poem I just wrote.
Fragrant broth from meaty bones
simmering stovetop, steaming up windows
warming the kitchen with anticipation
softened vegetables, tender meat
I dip my rounded spoon, breaking the delectable surface,
just a thin sheen of oil
And slurp
Jennifer Field says
So much soupy creativity! Thank you for your poem, Stacy! Makes me hungry (which I guess is totally the point)! xo
Stacy says
Totally.
Bali Tour says
Great food
Thank you for the recipe 🙂
Jennifer Field says
You are very welcome. Enjoy!
plasterer bristol says
mmm this sounds really good. Thanks for sharing this. Simon
Jennifer Field says
I hope you make it and enjoy it, Simon! Tomatoes and Cajun flavors go together nicely!
Nancie says
What a feast! I learned so much from this Mardi Gras parade of facts, fun, and inspiration, and even got a homemade freshly baked poem! I did not know that croutons could be delicious: I think of them as dry dusty cubes in a box at the back of someone’s pantry, but you reminded me that they can be tasty cheesy upgrades of the saltine crackers that lift up soup around here.
Tom says
Sorry, but not a big fan of this soup. Maybe I’m just a purist who loves Tomato Basil soup. I guess I like tomato soup, and spicy things, just not in the same bowl. I also thought the Pepper gave the soup an awkward taste. I was able to salvage it by adding 3 more cans of Tomatoes, heavy whipping cream, brown sugar, minced garlic, fresh basil, parsley and a thyme.
Jennifer Field says
Sorry you aren’t a fan. Glad you were able to make it suit your taste, which is really what cooking is all about!
Dani Lynn says
This is absolutely amazing! I used Slap Ya Mama (hot) and hot smoked Spanish paprika. It’s heavenly. I loved the addition of the red wine vinegar. I did add a touch of sugar at the end. This will definitely be a favorite in our house.
Jennifer Field says
I am thrilled that you are enjoying it and that it will be on repeat at your place!
Gusti Anom says
I love Spicy food. I will try this.
Jennifer Field says
Enjoy!