Storm of Thoughts

Recipe: Homemade Tomato Soup

I thought I would share the recipe that I used my new toy to make. With the cold weather setting in and the grey, rainy days we’ve been having in Boston, it’s the perfect time for soup - and this one is particularly easy and delicious. You can’t really go wrong with tomato soup and grilled cheese. (As a bonus, I made the soup ahead of time and reheated it, which worked out great when I came home starving at 7:30). The recipe came from my Williams-Sonoma Soups and Stews book.

1 medium onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 1/2 lbs. plum tomatoes, peeled and cored (buying them in a can works well!)
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2-1 teaspoon sugar, option
up to 1 cup milk or cream, optional

Heat the oil in a stock pot over medium-low heat until shiny. Add in the vegetables and sweat (but don’t allow to color) for 10-12 minutes. Add in one cup of the stock, the whole tomatoes (and their juice), and about 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, for 20-30 minutes. Use your incredible Cuisinart immersion blender to blend, or do this in parts in your blender, until desired consistency is reached. Then whisk in as much of the remaining 1 cup of broth as you want. I used about 1/2 cup broth and 1/2 cup milk. You can also substitute the entire cup with milk or cream. Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings (with salt, pepper, and sugar) to taste. (Because of differences in the tomatoes, what needs to be added will differ all of the time!) Heat the bowls in the oven before serving and garnish with parsley or cheese.

Our sandwiches involved a crusty loaf of bread, an interesting mix of cheddar and gruyere, and (as per my aunt’s not so secret recipe), some mustard.

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