Southwest Tomato Soup

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Southwest tomato soup makes a warm and comforting bowl of soup with a bit more character than traditional tomato soup. Roasted hatch chilis adds a smokey heat that works wonderfully in this unique tomato soup recipe.

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Canning Time50

Total Time1 40

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: hatch chilis

Servings: pints

Ingredients

12 dried New Mexican chile peppers about 4 ounces
2 cups boiling water
4 garlic cloves minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
5 cups coarsely chopped onion about 4 large onions
6 cups canned diced tomatoes
1 quart vegetable or chicken broth or more, for a thinner soup
1/2 cup dark brown sugar firmly packed, optional, or adjust to taste
2 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground red pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prep the Chiles:

Start by rinsing any dirt off the dried New Mexican chiles and patting them dry with a paper towel. Toast the chiles on a very hot griddle or in a skillet for 8-10 seconds on each side until they puff up and blister—be careful not to burn them!
Once they’re cool enough to handle, remove the stems and seeds, tear them into large pieces, and place them in a medium bowl.
Pour 2 cups of boiling water over the chiles and let them soak for about 20 minutes to soften. Don't discard the soaking liquid, you'll need this in the soup.

Make The Soup

In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Next, stir in the chopped onions, cover, and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the onions start to soften, uncover the pot and continue cooking, stirring often, for an additional 5-10 minutes until the onions are a rich caramel color.
Now it’s time to add the tomatoes and spices. Stir in the diced tomatoes, broth, brown sugar, chili powder, salt, cumin, ground red pepper, and the softened chiles, along with the reserved soaking liquid. Once everything is well combined, remove the pot from the heat and let the flavors meld for a minute or two.
Transfer the mixture in batches to a blender and blend until smooth (you can also use an immersion blender directly in the pot). Return the pureed soup to the Dutch oven.
Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low and let the soup simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir occasionally, and as the soup simmers, it will thicken and darken in color. (Stop when it's as thick as you like your soup. You should have about 9 to 10 pints.)

Pressure Canning

Prepare a pressure canner and preheat it to just simmering.
Ladle the hot Southwest Tomato Soup into the warm jars, leaving about 1 inch of headspace. Remove any air bubbles, and wipe the jar rims clean. Place the lids on the jars and screw on the bands until they are fingertip-tight.
Carefully place the jars on the canner rack, making sure they aren’t touching. Secure the lid on the canner, vent steam for 10 minutes, and then bring the pressure to 10 pounds (psi) for a weighted-gauge canner or 11 pounds (psi) for a dial-gauge canner. Process the jars for 50 minutes, adjusting pressure for your altitude as needed.
Once the canning time is up, turn off the heat and let the pressure in the canner return to zero and cool completely. Carefully remove the jars and let them cool on a towel on the counter.
Once cooled completely, check the seals on the jars, wipe any residue off, and store them in a cool, dark place. Properly canned jars can be stored for 12-18 months on the pantry shelf. Once opened, refrigerate and consume within a few days.

Notes

Pressure Canning Altitude Adjustments

With pressure canning, the processing times stay the same at higher altitudes, but the pressures change. Here are the altitude adjustments for pressure canning:

For dial gauge pressure canners:

0 to 2,000 feet in elevation – 11 lbs pressure
2,001 to 4,000 feet in elevation – 12 lbs pressure
4,001 to 6,000 feet in elevation – 13 lbs pressure
6,001 to 8,000 feet in elevation – 14 lbs pressure

For weighted gauge pressure canners:

0 to 1,000 feet in elevation – 10 lbs pressure
Above 1,000 feet – 15 lbs pressure

Nutrition