Creamy Classic Tomato Soup

I found this nice recipe for a shrimp curry soup that called for some prepared tomato soup, so I decided to make some soup before making a different soup.

I know.

Regardless, this turned out really good so I thought I'd just post it separately as to not be super confusing.

Creamy Classic Tomato Soup
(from here)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, medium dice
Kosher salt
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed
Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
1 (28-ounce) can tomatoes in their juices, preferably San Marzanos
1 1/2 cups chicken broth or water (as always, homemade is best)
1/3 cup heavy cream
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

==

Grab up a medium sauce pan and put it over medium heat and add the butter.

Toss in the onion and and some salt and pepper. 

Coarsely chop or press 2 cloves of garlic.

Toss it in with the onions.

Cook for 7-10 minutes stirring occasionally so as not to burn them.

Once thoroughly softened, add the tomatoes.

The type (as in crushed, whole or diced) really doesn't matter as we'll be blending the soup at the end, so whatever you have on hand.

BUT, I will say, that when the tomato is the star and you can pull off canned tomatoes vs fresh tomatoes (like this soup or a tomato sauce or something) splurge the extra dollar and get San Marzanos. They really are that much better. They're sweeter, more tangy, and more complex. Trust me on this one.

Anyway, add the tomatoes to the onion/garlic.

Next, add your chicken stock.

Again, as I've discovered from my time in the kitchen, homemade chicken stock is both easy to make and yields FAR superior results vs the boxed stuff. The gelatin from the bones and the robustness of real vegetables gives everything you use it with a better body and complexity. It'll keep forever in the freezer so if you make a big batch you can portion it out and use it whenever you need it.

Sorry for the rambling.

Add 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock.

Let this come to a simmer, still over medium heat and cook for another 7-10 minutes. Longer if you have the time, say up to 30 minutes before you blend.

I started blending the soup with a stick blender but it didn't get that rich super-smooth texture I associate with tomato soup.

I switched to the blender and got MUCH better results.

Granted, it's more of a pain but it's much better.

Go ahead and add the 1/3 cup of heavy cream while the soup is blending to incorporate it. You can taste for seasoning here as well.

Definitely add some salt and pepper.

I ended up with about 5 cups of soup.

No need to re-heat it in the pan as it's pretty much ready to serve at this point.

Add some basil chiffonade and a bit of grated parm and you have yourself a very nice bowl of creamy tomato soup!

It's equal parts rich and tangy and hearty but still doesn't feel TOO rich. It would be great with some toasted baguette or of course, grilled cheese.

If you've got a little time and feel like some dynamite soup, give it a try!

Enjoy!