Recipe: Green Tomato and Bacon Soup
Firm green tomatoes become soft and almost juicy when cooked, and make for a great hearty soup.
The frost is on the pumpkin, as the old saying goes. Three nights of chilly temps have put an end to everything garden-wise, and quashed and frosted my garden dreams way too soon. Leaving me with a glut of green tomatoes.
Green tomatoes aren’t a particular type of tomato, although there are varieties that are green when ripe, such as Green Zebras. Green tomatoes are simply ones that haven’t yet ripened. They will ripen if left in a cool, rather dark place – not the windowsill. That way they’ll ripen fairly slowly retaining a touch of summer-fresh flavor. On the other hand, it’s delicious to explore ways to cook with them green. Pickles and conserves call to me, but I have too many to deal with.
Seemingly, my friends and neighbors also have ample stashes of green tomatoes. So we set up a friendly green tomato giveaway stand including a Roadside Recipe for my Fried Green Tomatoes. We’re hoping to get some takers or at least a chuckle out of folks driving and jogging by. Maybe someone will be taking notes?
On their own, green tomatoes don’t have a ton of flavor, but cooking coaxes out their lemony qualities. Firm and hard when raw, they become soft and almost juicy when cooked. That’s what’s so good about this soup, the tart green tomatoes meld with the smoky robust notes from the bacon, making it a perfect bowlful for a chilly evening. Cornbread or crusty rolls round out the meal, perhaps also a soft cheese. It’s easily adaptable for vegetarians or vegans: Omit the bacon, subbing two tablespoons of olive oil to saute the vegetables and swap veg stock for the chicken broth.
Here’s to the next season.
Green Tomato and Bacon Soup
Makes 4 servings
3 thick bacon slices, cut into rough ¼-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped (about 1½ cups)
1 medium green bell pepper, coarsely chopped (about ¾ cup)
1 large carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped (about ¾ cup)
2 large garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 medium green tomatoes (1 ½ pounds), cored and coarsely chopped (4 ½ cups)
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1. Cook the bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring often, until all the fat is rendered, 6-8 minutes. If necessary, spoon off all but 2 tablespoons drippings (my lean bacon left no excess drippings). Leave the bacon in the pan.
2. Add the onion, bell pepper, carrot and garlic to the drippings and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are nearly crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the salt and pepper. Add the green tomatoes and mix well.
3. Add the broth; raise the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the tomatoes are very tender and the flavors are blended, 30 to 35 minutes. As it cooks, crush the tomatoes with a potato masher to make the soup thicker and more cohesive. Taste for seasoning. Serve hot. This freezes well.
