I love my tomato soup tangy, thick, blended but with texture and with just a hint of cream. Tomato soup should be tangy enough to hit you in the salivary glands and creamy enough to be luxurious. I wasn’t finding this in the store bought and restaurant soups so I decided to create the soup of my dreams. Given that this is a tomato soup the tomatoes are of the utmost importance, for that reason I have gone with San Marzano brand tomatoes. They have, to my palat, the perfect balance between sweet and tangy. I use crushed, diced and paste in this recipe, the diced for tang and body, the crushed for sweetness and the paste for depth.

Ingredients:

1 28oz Can of diced tomatoes

1 28oz Can of crushed tomatoes

2 Tbs Tomato Paste

1 Quart Chicken Stock – you can use vegetable broth or even water

1 large yellow onion, diced

5 garlic cloves, crushed

1 Tbs Herbs de Provence

Salt and Pepper to taste

5 oz creme fraiche – I prefer this to regular cream because it adds another layer to tang

                  

Step 1: Place large stockpot over medium heat (I like my Le Creuset)

Step 2: Spray with a thin layer of cooking spray, add the onions and salt. Sauté for 1 minute or until the onions become translucent.

Step 3: Add the Garlic, Herbs and Pepper and saute for another minute

Step 4: Add the tomato cans, paste and chicken broth. Stir to combine. Bring to a slow simmer and allow to reduce for about an hour or until the soup reaches the desired thickness.

Step 5: Us an immersion blender to smooth the soup. It will not go creamy on you like the kind that comes from a can.

Step 6: Add the Creme Fraiche and mix in.

Serves 6-8