Tomato Basil Soup

I've been making this soup for years and it's a favorite. It's a great appetizer soup since it's light but we particularly love having it for lunch with toasties or grilled cheese.

Here's what you'll need. Oh, and cream. Although if you're counting your calories this is still delicious without it.

Be sure to use San Marzano variety tomatoes. Trust me, they make all the difference.

Start by heating 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add half of a large onion, chopped.

Cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add 2 cloves of crushed garlic and half of a 7 oz. jar of roasted red peppers. I chop the peppers first and often add half of the oil from the jar too. Saute for 2 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic.

Add the tomatoes, breaking them up in the pot with the back of a wooden spoon. Add 2 cups of chicken stock and 3 tablespoons of fresh basil. Cover and simmer on low/medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Puree with a hand blender. Mine is an inexpensive Toastmaster one and I love it. It works wonderfully and I use it for all sorts of things, including the indulgent afternoon milkshake-made-in-a-cup every once in a while. Shhh...don't tell anyone.

You can also use a regular blender, but be careful - too much hot liquid can blow the lid off when you turn it on! Only ladle in a little soup at a time. I learned this the hard way. The first time I made tomato soup was in my college apartment and our little kitchen ended up covered in red spots. Not fun to clean up not to mention the horrible sensation of piping hot tomato sauce all over your skin. So, like I said, be careful!

After pureeing the soup, add 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of fresh ground pepper and 2 1/2 tablespoons of sugar. Simmer another 10 minutes. Just before serving, stir in 1/2 cup of cream.

Now grab a big spoon and dig in!

Note: This soup freezes wonderfully. Just omit the cream at the end and add it in after it's thawed and reheated.

For a printable version of my recipe, see here.