Homemade Tomato Florentine Soup

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I always love whipping up a batch of fresh homemade tomato Florentine soup. There’s something utterly comforting about the velvety texture of tomato soup infused with the earthy essence of spinach, isn’t there?

Whether served as a soul-warming starter or alongside a crusty Italian bread loaf, this soup never fails to impress. And let’s not forget the timeless allure of pairing it with a perfectly grilled cheese sandwich (made with this amazing milk bread)—each bite is like a warm hug!

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Ingredients

The main ingredients for this soup are pretty straightforward, no fancy ingredients: just tomatoes (fresh and/or canned), onions, garlic, spinach, and spices. Milk or cream are completely optional.

Instructions

This soup comes together in about an hour or less, and most of the time is cooking time so I think it’s pretty easy. It’s also easy to “make ahead” and you can also freeze it provided you leave out the milk/cream (you can add it later when serving).

I like to make this on the stovetop if I’m going to be doing other things in the kitchen, OR you can easily make this in the Instant Pot for a more hands-off approach where you don’t need to tend to the stove.

Heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté onions and garlic until translucent, about 5-10 minutes. Add tomatoes, water, sugar, salt, oregano, and red pepper. Stir well. Cover and simmer for 1 hour with lid ajar.

Remove from heat and blend until smooth using a blender or immersion blender. Stir in cream and spinach, cook until spinach is wilted and heated through. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

Instant Pot

• Set Instant Pot to sauté mode and heat olive oil.
• Sauté onions and garlic until translucent, about 5-10 minutes.
• Add tomatoes, water, sugar, salt, oregano, and red pepper. Stir well.
• Close lid, set to sealing, and cook on manual high pressure for 5 minutes.
• Allow natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure.
• Blend until smooth using a blender or immersion blender.
• Stir in cream and spinach, use sauté mode to cook until spinach is wilted and heated through.
• Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

To Substitute Fresh Tomatoes

Prepare the Fresh Tomatoes:

• Start by blanching the fresh tomatoes in boiling water for about 1 minute.
• Remove them from the boiling water and immediately transfer them to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.
• Once cooled, peel off the skins and remove the cores.

Dice or Crush the Tomatoes:

• Cut the peeled tomatoes into small chunks or crush them with your hands or a fork, depending on your desired consistency.

Adjust the Quantity:

• Typically, one 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes equals about 3 to 4 fresh tomatoes. Adjust the quantity accordingly based on the size and juiciness of your fresh tomatoes.

Cooking Process:

• Follow the recipe instructions as usual, adding the diced or crushed fresh tomatoes in place of the canned crushed tomatoes.
• Keep in mind that fresh tomatoes might release more liquid during cooking, so you may need to adjust the cooking time slightly or simmer the sauce for a bit longer to achieve the desired consistency.

Seasoning:

• Since fresh tomatoes might have a slightly different flavor profile compared to canned crushed tomatoes, you might need to adjust the seasoning accordingly. Taste the sauce as it cooks and add more salt, sugar, or other seasonings as needed to balance the flavors.

Serving Suggestions

Tomato soup can be served alone as a small meal or snack but also goes great with the following:

• Salads like this Italian Chopped Salad, a Greek salad, or even a Cobb salad.
• Sandwiches (a simple grilled cheese or maybe a turkey burger?)
• As a first course for a variety of dinners like chicken or pasta.
• Big fresh loaf of bread!

Variations

Another reason I love this soup recipe is its really so versatile. In other words, it’s a very easy soup to customize. Here are some ideas to change it up a bit:

• Tomato rice soup – leave out the spinach and add some cooked brown or white rice to make it heartier
• Vegan – omit the milk and butter altogether or add unflavored almond or oat milk and use vegan butter or only olive oil
• Spicy – add a pinch more of red pepper flakes
• Toppings – Seasoned croutons, fresh herbs, grated cheese

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