🍅 Tomato Mull – A Southern Hug in a Bowl

Some foods feed your belly. This one feeds your soul.

Let me tell you something, sugar—if you ever sat at the kitchen table with someone who loved you deeply, ladling up warm bowls of something simple and comforting, then you already understand what tomato mull is all about.

I remember being just a little thing, sitting at Nanny Frances’s table, swinging my legs under the chair, watching her stir this bubbling pot of tomatoes on the stove. She didn’t need much to make a good meal—just a few pantry staples, a little bacon grease, and a lot of love. That’s the secret, after all: it’s never just about the food.

This tomato mull was her go-to lunch. Always served with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, always sprinkled with extra black pepper, and always made with a kind of gentle rhythm only grandmothers seem to have. I’ve tried to recreate it for years. And while mine never quite tastes like hers (does it ever?), every spoonful brings me back home.

So here it is—my version of Tomato Mull, simple and Southern as it gets, with lots of step-by-step help and a side of memories.

🖼️ Image One: Tomato Mull with PB&J

🍅 Ingredients You’ll Need

This recipe is all about simple, familiar flavors that turn into something magical:

1 (28 oz) can whole tomatoes – preferably whole and squished by hand. Don’t be tempted to use diced or crushed—you want that rustic texture.
Half a can of water – just fill the tomato can halfway and swish it around.
1 tablespoon bacon grease – this adds smoky flavor and a little richness. If you’ve got a mason jar of saved bacon drippings in the fridge, now’s its moment to shine.
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon – adds depth and a savory boost.
1/2 teaspoon black pepper – plus extra for serving.
1/2 teaspoon pepper sauce or hot sauce – use your favorite; this gives it a subtle kick.
1/2 teaspoon each of onion powder and garlic powder – pantry staples that round out the flavor.
1 sleeve saltine crackers – crushed by hand.
Salt to taste – but go easy, the crackers and bouillon already bring saltiness.

🥄 Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Get That Pot Bubbling

Grab a medium saucepan or soup pot—something with room to stir. Into the pot, add your tomatoes (squished by hand!), water, bacon grease, bouillon, black pepper, pepper sauce, onion powder, and garlic powder.

🖼️ Image Two: Pot of Tomatoes with Seasonings

Turn the heat to medium and bring the pot to a gentle boil. Stir now and then to make sure everything’s blending and that bacon grease is melting in smoothly.

Let it simmer just until it starts to bubble up with that rich, tomatoey aroma.

Step 2: Get the Crackers Ready

While the pot is heating, grab a sleeve of saltines and crush them up by hand. You want bite-sized pieces—not crumbs, not powder—just rustic, hearty chunks that’ll soak up that broth and turn soft like dumplings.

🖼️ Image Three: Crackers Ready to Go

Step 3: Remove from Heat & Add Crackers

Once the pot has come to a boil, turn off the heat. You don’t want to keep cooking it or the crackers will turn too mushy.

Pour the crushed crackers right into the hot tomato broth and give it a gentle stir. Let it sit for a few minutes while the crackers soak and thicken the dish.

🖼️ Image Four: Crackers Stirred Into the Mull

✨ Optional: Make It Yours

Here’s where you can get a little creative, if you like:

Add a pat of butter if you’re out of bacon grease.
Try crushed red pepper for a bolder bite.
Use diced tomatoes if that’s all you’ve got on hand (but squished whole tomatoes really do taste better).
Top with shredded cheese if you want a creamy twist.

But honestly? It doesn’t need much. This is one of those “leave-it-as-it-is” recipes.

🍽️ Serving Suggestions

Now listen—I may be Southern, but I’d argue that there is no better pairing than tomato mull and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Something about that sweet-savory combo just works. My nanny knew what she was doing.

A glass of sweet tea or a mason jar of homemade jelly nearby doesn’t hurt either.

🖼️ Image Five: Final Serving

💭 Final Thoughts

You know how some recipes are about impressing company and showing off? This isn’t that. Tomato mull is humble, hearty, and filled with love. It’s the kind of dish that tells a story—one of quiet afternoons, apron-clad grandmothers, and conversations over cracked plates and hot tea.

I miss my Nanny every time I make this. But I also feel close to her again, stirring the pot, tasting as I go, remembering her voice.

💬 Let’s Reminisce Together

Do you have a dish that instantly takes you back to childhood? Something a parent or grandparent used to make that you’ve never quite been able to duplicate?

Tell me in the comments—I’d love to hear about it. 💛