Tuesday, September 16, 2008

YUMMO! ...not YUM-O

I am making the most delicious Homemade Tomato Soup tonight! I made up this recipe two nights ago when I was craving a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup but had no ready made. I offered some to my boyfriend and he shrugged and said "Okay." Three minutes later his bowl was empty and there was no soup left in the pot. Tonight, when I asked my him what he wanted to eat, he looked at me, smiling, and said "Tomato Soup, please."
it really is that good!
Ready for the recipe? Here it is...
2- 14 oz cans of whole peeled tomatoes, cut in half or quarters with juice reserved
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground garlic, more if you like
1 bay leaf
4 cloves (yes, whole cloves)
dash of ground chili pepper
dash of white pepper
Complimentary herbs of your liking... (I chose oregano, thyme and rosemary)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 - 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar (this is an approximation. I pour a very thin stream from the bottle into the soup while blending)
2 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon flour
1/4 - 1/2 cup cream (I even used half & half), this too is a preference thing and I eyeballed it.
salt and pepper to taste
Heat the olive oil in the bottom of a large saucepan, add the garlic until fragrant and translucent. Over medium-high heat, stir in the tomato juice from cans. Then add halved tomatoes. Cook for 3 minutes. Add in bay leaf, cloves, chili pepper, white pepper, and herbs. Stir and let simmer for 20 - 30 minutes.
Tomatoes should be soft and easily squished with your spoon.
Remove cloves and bay leaf from pot and transfer tomatoes into a standing blender. Puree for about 10 seconds. Let stand for a sec, then puree again for another 15 seconds. This time adding the sugar and balsamic vinegar. Let it all sit in the blender while you prep the next step.
In the same saucepan, melt 2 Tablespoons of butter. Whisk in 1 Tablespoon of flour to make a sort of roux. Be careful so it doesn't get lumpy. Slowly add the tomatoes back into the saucepan. Once the roux is incorporated with the tomatoes, you can start adding the cream. I add just enough to lighten up the color. Let the soup simmer slightly for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly before serving
Enjoy!

5 comments:

Shop 326 said...

Yeah, so I'm not good with measurements, but I don't use exact measurements. I kinda make it up as I go. But this recipe is the general idea of it.

ThreadBeaur said...

That sounds great for a cold day! It is time to start making soup again!

kim* said...

very yummy!

Beth said...

Wow that looks great. I'm going to have to give it a try. One of my favorite comfort foods is tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches.

nikki/WhiMSy love said...

Ooh, this sounds delicious--especially yummy for upcoming Autumn (my favorite season!)!