Why is tomato soup so comforting?

I don’t know exactly why. Your question even put me in a peaceful zone thinking about a bowl.

Because our moms made it for us as children. It was warm and creamy and soothing.

A grilled cheese sandwich is the perfect accompaniment.

(And now I want both.)

I love that. I have mine with a peanut butter sandwich, just like Mom used to fix.

Tomato soup is best served poured over a grill velveeta and bologna sandwich.

Only two things I like velveeta for are mac & cheese and grilled cheese and bologna.

But it was always one of the meals of choice when we got sick as kids.

For me it isn’t tomato soup, it is pea and ham or chicken. Same reasons though. It brings back thoughts of childhood.

I’m making a tomato and white bean soup tonight! How did you know?

I think part of the reason it’s so comforting is the fact that it is both savory and light. It doesn’t make you feel heavy after you’ve eaten it, just warm. Tomato soup is kind of like love. It makes you feel warm and tingly and leaves a good taste in your mouth. And it’s red, the color of love.

Campbell’s tomato soup is good, but homemade tomato soup is a hundred times better!

Habitant Pea Soup!

Grilled cheese with mine.
Mom made it, I make it for my kids. I bet they’ll make it for theirs.

If we were to anthropomorphize soups, tomato would surely be the heart. It’s warm, red and very centered—universally loved and loving. I’m thinking split pea might exist at the other end of the . . . er . . . spectrum.

You know, it’s simple food. It keeps, it’s handy, it’s tasty, it’s satisfying, it’s inexpensive and sometimes you just want something simple—and just as @janbb said, it’s great with a grilled cheese sandwich. I sometimes get in the mood for it and sometimes, I run out of food. Either way, I agree, it’s a comfort food. Viva la tomato soup!

@picante :-O I am in shock that you would attack pea soup in such a way!! As I said, it is my favourite but I really think it has to do with the memories it evokes. I have never made home made tomato soup. I will have to because I really don’t much like tinned tomato soup.

Oh, I am so sending this to KatawaGrey! She gets more than a little rhapsodic on the subject!

The Soup Wars have begun!

@Bellatrix, I harbor no ill-will toward pea soup. It wasn’t in my mother’s repertoire, so it never got on my personal comfort food list. The color has always been a wee off-putting to me. Peace and love to you and all things soupish ;-)

Its all psychological and the soup people should be complimented for it.

It was drilled into our parents head and our parents drilled it into our heads.

A great psychological advancement for the advertising industry and mmmm mmmm good!

2nd Quesion, uh answer…............

In tomato soup, is the store brand as good as the name brand?

I know exactly why tomato soup is so comforting for me.

When I was very young, maybe 3 or 4, I was at my godmother’s house and there was a power outage. She managed to make some tomato soup probably had a gas stove or something like that and we ate it by candlelight together, just the two of us. Whenever I have a bowl of tomato soup, I think of that time and I feel wonderful.

@KatawaGrey, that’s such a great answer!

I too am a great lover of the Pea Soup and I think others would be too, if it just didn’t look like baby vomit. If people tasted it with blindfolds on, I think they would love it too.

Soup, in general is one of the 8 Wonders of the Food World According to Kardamom.

And for you my dear @Bellatrix I am giving you one Classic Tomato Soup (Use really good tomatoes, heirlooms if you can, not those icky pink mealy ones) and this decadent sounding Tomato Bisque Soup and here is one that is a little bit different Sun Dried Tomato Soup with White Beans and Swiss Chard (this is making me drool) And this one is more like what I’m making tonight, Tomato Soup with Spinach and White Beans

And for you naysayers here’s a recipe for Split Pea Soup This one is vegetarian, but most pea soups have ham or bacon in them, so here is a more traditional Pea Soup

And because we can’t have our mater soup without our grilled cheese, here is a Selection of Super Duper Fantabulous Grilled Cheese Sammies

@john65pennington I don’t particularly love Campbell’s tomato soup, but Trader Joe’s Organic Tomato Bisque is the best tasting canned tomato soup I’ve ever tasted!

If you are feeling really adventurous you can add fresh clams to @Kardamom‘s Tomato Bisque Soup above.

Oh thank you @Kardamom! I will look forward to trying these recipes. I want to come and live at your house :D Will you adopt me?

I loved it as a kid. I still eat it now. Usually, I break a buncha crackers and sprinkle them all in the soup, tastes awesome. Maybe it’s comforting because it’s easy to make, and there’s so much stuff you can do to/add to it.

It’s warm, red, and savory… that makes me think that tomato soup soothes the caveman in us. Like, our distant ancestors hunted and then tore into some red meat. We’re a little more civilized now, but that kind of thing still appeals.

I don’t know, I’m flunkering. This is probably the sanest thing I will come up with tonight.

because it always reminds me of being a kid.