BLT Soup
Tomato Soup with Bacon Croutons and Pistou
This recipe has all of the flavors of a BLT sandwich, but in a comforting, easy-to-make tomato soup. The rendered bacon fat is used to flavor both the base of the soup and the crispy croutons on top.
For a final flourish, it’s finished with a rustic green sauce called pistou. If you don’t have the time (or energy) to make your own, feel free to substitute it with your favorite store-bought pesto.
Serves 4 to 6
4 ounces bacon (about 4 slices), finely diced
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
Three ½-inch thick slices stale bread, such as a country boule, cut into ½-inch dice
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 large garlic cloves, smashed
Two 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes (see Note)
¼ to ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper (depending on your heat preference)
Kosher salt
1 Tablespoon honey
Pistou or pesto, for serving
Freshly ground black pepper, for garnish
1. Add the bacon to a large, cold, dry pot. Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel–lined plate to drain. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat into a small heatproof bowl; reserve.
2. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in the remaining bacon fat. Add the bread and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the paper towel-lined plate with the bacon. Toss to combine.
3. In the pot, add the reserved bacon fat and melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the onion and garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes, crushed red pepper, a generous pinch of salt and one 28-ounce can of water (about 3 cups). Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, breaking up the tomatoes with the back of a spoon, then reduce the heat to moderately low and simmer until thickened slightly, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the honey.
4. Working in batches, ladle the soup into a blender and puree until smooth. Be careful not to overfill your blender and hold the top in place with a kitchen towel in case of any splatter. Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender to puree the soup right in the pot. Season with salt.
5. Ladle the soup into bowls. Drizzle each bowl with pistou, then top with bacon croutons. Garnish with freshly ground black pepper and serve right away.