I will admit that tomatsuppe med makaroni (tomato soup with macaroni pasta) isn’t a dish that Norwegians will typically make from scratch. Rather, it’s one of those meals that comes in a ready-made package and then water is just added with some boiled pasta.  

This is most likely because Norway’s cold climate makes growing tomatoes challenging. They taste sour and bland, which is why I never fancied tomatoes as a young girl. 

You can imagine my surprise when I got to taste ripe tomatoes in season on my first trip to Greece, or when I came over to the United States in the warmer climate in California. I was sold!

Now, decades later, living in New York with my own tomato garden, this time of year I just want to put tomatoes on and in everything. Soup, pasta, pizza, bread, muffins, salads…you name it!

Growing up in Norway in the 70s and 80s, tomatsuppe med makaroni was considered one of those ‘modern meals’ in my house because my mom made everything from scratch. So for us to eat packaged anything was, well…a treat and a bit exciting!

After moving to a country where tomatoes can grow to full ripeness, and becoming a professional chef, I can’t very well resort to any packaged or canned tomato soup. 

Let’s make tomato soup from scratch! 

The key to making fresh tomato soup is to preserve the tomato flavor and not add too many other ingredients. 

Simply start by sauteing a little onion or shallots, a few garlic cloves, and some fresh herbs like thyme and oregano, and let the tomatoes take over from there. 

If you want to add a little cream towards the end to make it richer, you can. I prefer keeping it fresh and it will still be creamy from pureeing the soup at the end using an immersion stick blender. 

Serve with your favorite crusty loaf of bread. I served my tomato soup with a bread stuffed with sundried tomatoes, olives, roasted garlic, and feta. 

This recipe will be exclusively featured in my upcoming seasonal bundle later this fall. Stay tuned!

Fresh Tomato Soup with Macaroni (Fersk Tomatsuppe med Makaroni)

Ingredients

1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion (or 2 large shallots), peeled and diced
2-3 large garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 sprig fresh oregano (or 2 teaspoons dried), stem removed, leaves chopped
2-3 sprigs thyme, stem removed, leaves chopped
Pinch of red pepper flakes
3 lbs (1½ kg) fresh, ripe tomatoes, cored, and diced
2-3 cups water (or as necessary)
Salt and pepper to taste
6 oz (170 g) macaroni, cooked according to package directions, and drained
Fresh herbs and drizzle of olive oil

Directions

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions with a pinch of sea salt and sauté until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic cloves and cook for another minute or so. 

Add the tomato paste and stir to coat the garlic and onions. Sauté for another minute then add the oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, tomatoes, and water with another couple of pinches of sea salt and a few cracks of black pepper. 

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a light simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes until tomatoes are broken down and the soup starts to slightly thicken.

While the soup is simmering, cook the macaroni pasta according to the package directions minus 1-2 minutes (it should be al dente because the pasta will continue cooking once added to the soup). Drain and set aside.

Once the soup has thickened, purée using an immersion stick blender until desired consistency. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed.

Add the cooked macaroni to the blended soup.

Heat through and serve with your favorite bread!

More Recipes To Try…

Brennsnut

Creamy Broccoli Dill Pickle Soup

Creamy Potato Soup (Potetsuppe)

Fresh Tomato Soup with Macaroni (Fersk Tomatsuppe med Makaroni)

The key to this fresh vegan tomato soup with macaroni pasta recipe is to preserve the tomato flavor and not add too many other ingredients. Simply start by sauteing a little onion, garlic, and some fresh herbs then let the tomatoes take over.

Print Pin Rate

Author: Sunny Gandara | Arctic Grub

Ingredients

• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion (or 2 large shallots), peeled and diced
• 2-3 large garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 sprig fresh oregano (or 2 teaspoons dried), stem removed, leaves chopped
• 2-3 sprigs thyme, stem removed, leaves chopped
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 3 lbs (1½ kg) fresh, ripe tomatoes, cored, and diced
• 2-3 cups water (or as necessary)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 6 oz (170 g) macaroni, cooked according to package directions, and drained
• Fresh herbs and drizzle of olive oil

Instructions

• In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions with a pinch of sea salt and sauté until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic cloves and cook for another minute or so.
• Add the tomato paste and stir to coat the garlic and onions. Sauté for another minute then add the oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, tomatoes, and water with another couple of pinches of sea salt and a few cracks of black pepper.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce to a light simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes until tomatoes are broken down and the soup starts to slightly thicken.
• While the soup is simmering, cook the macaroni pasta according to the package directions minus 1-2 minutes (it should be al dente because the pasta will continue cooking once added to the soup). Drain and set aside.
• Once the soup has thickened, purée using an immersion stick blender until desired consistency. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed.
• Add the cooked macaroni to the blended soup and heat through.Serve with your favorite bread!