140.6…Cream of Fresh Tomato Soup

When I had planned on making soup for Saturday night's dinner a few days ago, I hadn't planned on it being 80+ degrees here. Oh well…soup is good in all weather, right?

I'm a huge tomato soup fan. Not the sweet kind from a can but the kind that's savory with lots of basil. I found a Barefoot Contessa recipe for Cream of Fresh Tomato Soup and knew it had to be good. I was right.

Cream of Fresh Tomato Soup (serves 5-6)

Recipe from Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped red onions (2 onions)
2 carrots, unpeeled and chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
4 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, coarsely chopped (5 large)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup packed chopped fresh basil leaves, plus julienned basil leaves, for garnish
3 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and carrots and sauté for about 10 minutes, until very tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste, basil, chicken stock, salt, and pepper and stir well. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes are very tender.

Add the cream to the soup and process it through a food mill into a bowl, discarding only the dry pulp that's left. (I just put the soup in the blender) Reheat the soup over low heat just until hot and serve with julienned basil leaves, if desired. 

Printable Recipe

I ate the soup with Oprah's Favorite Grilled Cheese (recipe coming). Very satisfying dinner!

Breakfast this morning was scrambled egg beaters with asparagus, salsa, green onions and cheddar cheese. 

Today was a pretty chill day. No plans. No plans means that I will be found doing little projects and this and that around the house. I wish I could just sit and relax but I can't. 

I reheated some of the Cream of Fresh Tomato Soup for lunch. This time I made a simple turkey and cheddar grilled cheese sandwich to go with it.

Do you ever just sit and relax at home or are you like me: always on the go? 

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