Friday, October 11, 2024

Tomato-Basil Soup

This has become a classic soup during my lifetime. I recall when La Madeleine restaurants in Dallas served it to rave comments, sold it bottled at grocery stores, and yet ... I never tried it.

I love regular Tomato Soup and though I believed the accolades I just didn't think I needed to eat Tomato Soup that often. It turns out I was wrong.

Rose came across it when living in L.A. and immediately found a recipe which she made regularly. She's been back in Dallas for years now, living at home, and it has become a staple for our meatless Friday meals. We love it, especially paired with a Grilled Jalapeño Jack Cheese Sandwich.

As my husband observed, "I always just thought I didn't like Tomato Soup before. Turns out I was eating the wrong soup!"

It helps that it is super easy.

Note: this freezes well and we often make a double recipe so that there's always some on hand.

Tomato-Basil Soup

Step 1:
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 red onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced

Heat olive oil over medium-low heat in a dutch oven or large pot. Once hot, add onions and season generously with salt. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until soft and starting to turn golden brown, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute, stirring to avoid burning the garlic.

Step 2:
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
4 cups good-quality chicken stock
Salt and pepper

Stir in the tomatoes and chicken stock. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower heat to maintain a simmer for at least 15 minutes. Feel free to leave it longer if you forget about it.

Purée mixture using an immersion blender or carefully transfer soup to a blender and blend until smooth. If using a blender, return mixture to the pot.

Step 3:
1 cup heavy cream
1 bunch basil, torn into small bite-size pieces
Parmesan cheese, grated for garnish

Stir in the cream and basil and let simmer for at least 15 minutes or until preferred consistency. Serve immediately, topped with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, black pepper, and basil.

2 comments:

Sarah said...

Or it may be delicious still if made with a good vegetable stock for the those meatless Fridays. I will definitely be making this soup and will do your grilled cheese sandwich suggestion, too.

Julie said...

Handy tip - you can use chicken broth for meatless meals, according to the Lenten guidelines. :-)

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