This past week, I was given a task to pickup a can of Campbell’s chicken noodle soup for my son. The goal was to bring the soup into school and have the fourth grade students attempt to try different soups. I have to admit, I am not one to buy soup out of can anymore, and I cannot remember the last time I did! Well, I should not say it that way as I have actually bought condensed soup for my cheesy potatoes recipe. So, I sat there in aisle four of the grocery store, looking at all of the different types of soup. There were so many to choose from, but one caught my eye, and that was tomato soup.
I recall that it was not one of my favorite soups growing up as a kid, but as I grew older, I really loved the flavors of it. Not in a can, but the homemade type. So when I came home and delivered the can of soup to my son, I asked my wife if she liked tomato soup. She said that she does not even think that she has ever tried tomato soup in here life. What?! Well, seeing that I have yet to use my immersion blender that I received at Christmas time, this left me with the perfect opportunity to make a batch of really delicious tomato soup. A soup that pairs ever so nicely with a really great grilled cheese sandwich.
Let’s get started.
Ingredients:
- 1 head of garlic, skin removed, lightly smashed
- 1 lb of good, organic tomatoes, on the vine
- 2 Roma tomatoes, cored
- 1 tsp of salt (more for tasting)
- 1 tsp black pepper (more for tasting)
- 1 small carrot, diced
- 1 small rib of celery diced
- 2 small onions, halved
- 1 tbsp of unsalted butter
- pinch of sugar
- dash of balsamic vinegar
- 4 cups of chicken stock
- 1/4 cup of olive oil, 2 tbsp for saute
- heavy cream (optional)
- 1 tbsp of dried basil
Begin by heating your oven to 450 degrees. Add your onions, tomatoes, and garlic to a sheet tray, and drizzle the olive oil over the vegetables. Season the top with salt and pepper, and cook in the oven for nearly 30 minutes, or until you get some really nice colors out of the vegetables.
Next, get a soup pot out, and add in the two tablespoons of olive oil. Bring to a medium-high heat, and toss in the carrots, and celery. Let this cook for about 8 minutes or so, just until tender. Next, slide in the roasted vegetables and give it a good stir. Add in your sugar, basil, and the splash of balsamic vinegar. Stir, and let this cook for a few minutes. Add in the chicken stock, and bring to a boil. Now if you have an immersion blender (by the way, I love this thing), use it now to puree down the mixture. Make it as thin as you would want your soup, or in batches, add it to your blender, being careful to use a towel over the top cap due to the pressure from the hot soup. Once pureed, taste, and season with salt and pepper, if needed.
Reduce the heat, and ladle into your favorite soup bowl. I like to use my ramekins because they are a great serving size, and are a nice presentation. Drizzle with a bit of cream, and sprinkle with basil. You now have homemade tomato soup in your bowls, in less than 30 minutes. And trust me, it is a heck of a lot better than canned soup. Enjoy!