Tomato Artichoke Soup

Halloween tomorrow. Justin is a soldier. Tyler is a zombie again because Tyler does not fix what is not broken. Amber is a vampire, elegant and pale, which required no costume adjustments because Amber is naturally elegant and pale. Josie is a chef, complete with an apron I made from a dish towel and a paper chef hat, and she is carrying a spatula as a prop, which she has been waving around the house for two days pretending to flip pancakes.

The pre-Halloween dinner was soup and bread, because you need something hot and fast before sending four kids into the Nebraska October cold. I made a quick tomato soup from the canned tomatoes I put up in July, and the taste of July tomatoes in October is a small miracle, a time-travel trick accomplished with mason jars and patience. Grilled cheese sandwiches on my homemade bread, which turns grilled cheese from a weeknight lazy dinner into something worth bragging about. Good bread makes everything better, and I will keep saying it until everyone believes me.

Trick-or-treating was the usual: forty houses, a candy haul that could stock a convenience store, and Josie declaring every house the best house, which is the energy I aspire to but cannot match. Gayle handed out candy again and reportedly gave full-size candy bars again, and again she will deny it, and again the neighborhood children will worship her, and this is the cycle of Gayle generosity: extravagant, denied, legendary.

After trick-or-treating, we did the candy sort. Ten pieces each to keep, the rest confiscated for the freezer. Justin tried to negotiate for fifteen. I said ten. He said twelve. I said ten. He said eleven. I said ten. This is what parenthood has taught me: I am an excellent negotiator because I do not negotiate. The number is ten. The number has always been ten. The number will always be ten. Justin respects this, grudgingly, the way he respects all immovable forces.

Tomorrow is November. The countdown to November third begins, the way it begins every year, silently, in the background, like a clock you can hear only when the house is quiet. I am ready. I am as ready as I ever am, which is to say: not ready at all, but here. Still here.

This is the soup I made that night — or close enough to it that the difference doesn’t matter. The artichoke hearts are not traditional, but they add a quiet depth that makes the soup feel like more than a weeknight shortcut, and on Halloween, when you are trying to feed four children in costume before sending them into the dark, you need a soup that works harder than it looks. The canned tomatoes I put up in July did the real heavy lifting; this recipe just gives them the right stage.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
2 cans (28 oz each) whole peeled or crushed tomatoes (home-canned or store-bought)
1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream or half-and-half (optional, for richness)
Fresh basil or a drizzle of olive oil, to finish

Instructions

Soften the aromatics. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 6 minutes until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook another 60 seconds until fragrant.
Build the base. Stir in the Italian seasoning, then add the canned tomatoes, breaking up whole tomatoes with the back of a spoon. Pour in the broth. Add the sugar, salt, and black pepper. Stir to combine.
Add the artichokes. Stir in the chopped artichoke hearts. Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes to let the flavors come together.
Blend to your preference. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth, or leave it partially chunky if you prefer texture. If using a countertop blender, work in batches and be careful with the hot liquid.
Finish and season. Stir in the heavy cream if using. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. If the soup tastes too acidic, add another pinch of sugar. Simmer 2 to 3 more minutes.
Serve. Ladle into bowls and finish with fresh basil or a drizzle of good olive oil. Serve hot alongside grilled cheese on good homemade bread, if you have it.

Nutrition (per serving)

Tomato Artichoke Soup — The Soup That Buys You Time on Halloween Night