Spanish Inspired Carrot-Tomato Soup

What pairs perfectly with cold, rainy, winter weather? Yes, tomato soup. A dash of Spanish inspiration adds a perfect twist to this carrot-tomato soup recipe. The secret is sweet paprika and Manchego cheese. Some of the other special touches are fresh herbs like basil and rosemary, as well as Herbes de Provence!

Spanish Inspired Carrot-Tomato Soup

• Prep time: 10 minutes
  
• Cook time: 50 minutes
  
• Total time: 60 minutes
  
  Yields 8 Servings
  
  

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INGREDIENTS:

• 5 carrots sliced
  
• 1 yellow onion diced
  
• 6 garlic cloves minced
  
• 8 bacon slices
  
• 28 oz. roasted tomatoes
  
• 5 tablespoon tomato paste
  
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 6 cups chicken broth
  
• 2 bay leaves
  
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
  
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  
• 1 teaspoon herbes de province
  
• 8-10 ounces of shredded Machego cheese
  
  
  

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Wash, dry, and prep vegetables and herbs.
   
2. Fry bacon in a large stewpot on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Once the bacon is crispy, slice it into pieces, and return to pot.
   
3. Mix carrots, onion, and garlic. Cook for about 5-10 minutes until veggies are aromatic and tender.
   
4. Add tomato paste and stir into the mixture for a few minutes. Then add flour and stir for one minute.
   
5. Toss roasted tomatoes, chicken broth, sweet paprika, and herbs to the pot. Simmer for 30 minutes.
   
6. Por fin, blend soup in small batches and serve with shredded Manchego cheese and a dash of herbes de province as garnish.
   
   
   
   

Another touch that you will find in this dish is bacon. Bacon is glorious in itself. Here, it even serves as an excellent surrogate for cream! Creamy tomato soup is lovely, but if you want/need to be dairy-free or low-lactose, then you can swap the Manchego for crumbled sheep/goat cheese!

If you aren’t dairy-free, then I’d highly recommend garnishing the carrot-tomato soup with freshly shredded Manchego cheese. For those of you feeling wild, make a grilled cheese sandwich with Manchego, white cheddar, and Gruyere. If you opt to make grilled cheese, consider using a panini press for your grilled cheese and then dip every bite in the soup!

That is the beauty of the recipe! You can adapt it to your dietary and cuisine preferences. If you do choose to follow the recipe, you can expect to find a profile of flavors from slightly smoky, a bit sweet, and utterly delicious with the bacon base! Please enjoy a big bowl of soup with loved ones and stay warm this winter! When the summer weather arrives, I’ll share the Spanish Gazpacho-style tomato soup!