We are blessed with a wonderful crop of tomatoes...which spurs me on to make and preserve some of my favorite tomato recipes.
Though I love salsa, I'm not a canner, and refrigerator salsa only lasts so long... I decided to make a favorite tomato soup recipe and freeze it to use when the temps in Wisconsin are below freezing instead of our current balmy August temps. I can think of few lunches I love more in the winter than a toasted cheese sandwich with a warm bowl of cream of tomato soup! Aaaah, the cozy comfort!
This recipe is an obvious vegetarian recipe, and can easily be made vegan and still taste awesome.
Ingredients
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced (garlic lover that I am, I used 4)
3 lbs. ripe tomatoes, peeled and seeded, then diced (I am often too lazy to seed all of the tomatoes. Though seeding the tomatoes reduces the acidity, it's up to you as to whether you think it's worth the work.)
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock or broth
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves (firmly packed)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 pint heavy whipping cream (optional)
Fresh grated Parmesan for garnish
Depending on the batch I sometimes add some tomato paste and a little honey, to taste. I also at times add more fresh basil to taste.
Using a sharp knife, score an X in the bottom of your tomatoes.
Immerse the tomatoes in the boiling water, in batches, without crowding, and leave for about 30 seconds to a minute (no biggy if it's a bit longer).
Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon, let cool slightly, then peel away the skins. If you intend to seed the tomato, then cut the tomato in quarters and gently squeeze out the seeds.
In a large soup pot over medium heat, warm the oil, add onion and saute', stirring frequently until softened, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until softened but not browned, about 30 seconds.
Add the tomatoes and stock, raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook until the tomatoes are softened, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat.
In a blender or food processor, puree' the soup in batches leaving a little bit of texture if desired and return the soup to the pot. You could also process the soup using a handheld blender in the pot until the desired consistency. Return the soup to medium heat and reheat gently. Add the chopped basil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
This is the point where you either freeze for use in the winter and add the cream after thawing and heating, or continue to the next step.
Add the cream to soup and gently heat to desired temp., pour into bowls and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan, and serve with crusty bread or any version of cheesy bread you prefer.
Directions
To peel and seed the tomatoes, fill a large pot or saucepan 3/4 full of water and bring to a boil.
Using a sharp knife, score an X in the bottom of your tomatoes.
Immerse the tomatoes in the boiling water, in batches, without crowding, and leave for about 30 seconds to a minute (no biggy if it's a bit longer).
Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon, let cool slightly, then peel away the skins. If you intend to seed the tomato, then cut the tomato in quarters and gently squeeze out the seeds.
In a large soup pot over medium heat, warm the oil, add onion and saute', stirring frequently until softened, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until softened but not browned, about 30 seconds.
Add the tomatoes and stock, raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook until the tomatoes are softened, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat.
In a blender or food processor, puree' the soup in batches leaving a little bit of texture if desired and return the soup to the pot. You could also process the soup using a handheld blender in the pot until the desired consistency. Return the soup to medium heat and reheat gently. Add the chopped basil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
This is the point where you either freeze for use in the winter and add the cream after thawing and heating, or continue to the next step.
Add the cream to soup and gently heat to desired temp., pour into bowls and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan, and serve with crusty bread or any version of cheesy bread you prefer.
