This post was updated on 23 August 2013 once I had a new and (much) improved video of how to make tomato soup here. The text is still spot-on, so I hope you go ahead and read it, and the short intro video remains here just for fun.

Morphing leftovers into something new is one of the creative challenges I love about cooking. After all, who’s got time to cook every day? Not me. A big batch of tomato sauce goes a long way in making some scrumptious meals, like today’s sublime herb-infused tomato soup.

I will confess that tomato soup was never one of my favorites growing up as a kid, but I fell in love one day when making up a big pot from glorious summer tomatoes.

This soup built upon the fresh tomato sauce base I had made earlier in the week (text only version here, how-to video here). This recipe goes from sauce to soup in less than ten minutes—and don’t forget to read more about why soup is so good for you. Paired with a salad, this soup is a meal on its own, believe me.

And what to do when it’s not summer, you ask? No worries at all, because a combination of canned crushed and diced tomatoes also works quite nicely when our favorite summer fruits-cum-vegetables aren’t in season. You could start with a winter’s version of tomato sauce, like this recipe. Or, just sauté a slew of onions and garlic with canned tomatoes with a bunch of fresh basil and follow the same instructions. (I’ve done it that way as well.)  And if you’re newer to cooking, go easy on yourself: start with your favorite high-quality store-bought sauce (no- or low-sodium); it’ll still be way tastier and healthier than most supermarket soups on the shelves.

First, a short introductory video (c. 2011).

And now, for a a play-by-play transformation from tomato sauce to tomato soup, click here. It’s like magic! Well, not really. More like cooking. But it’s magical in its own way.

This soup is divine. I haven’t made it in a while and I actually could not believe how heavenly it tasted. Although it really requires no garnish, I served it with a sprinkle of fresh herbs to brighten the flavors. The second night I ate it—I’m all about leftovers—I had the idea of embellishing it with a little Mediterranean herb-encrusted chèvre and a drizzle of olive oil, as pictured. WOW. All I could think about was Emeril Lagasse and his whole “kicking  it up a notch.” Seriously. If you love goat cheese and olive oil as much as I, you should try the soup this way as well.

Necessary? Absolutely not.

Just: Crazy good.

BAM!