Creamy Tomato Soup

Lunch is definitely my least favorite meal of the day, and until a few years ago, I rarely ate lunch on a daily basis. As a child, my mom knew she couldn’t get away with packing me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for school, so instead I’d make requests for vegetable sushi rolls, a whole basket of sliced strawberries, or baguette with brie cheese. Since I rarely ate traditional kid food, I don’t have much experience with classic pairings like tomato soup and grilled cheese (which I’ve now come to love). This was my first time making tomato soup, and while it’s definitely not your average Campbell’s, it’s a dish that I think everyone can appreciate. I took a tip from one of my favorite restaurants, Dish Gourmet (reviewed here), and sprinkled a little Parmesan cheese and black pepper on top at the end.  

Creamy Tomato Soup:

• Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven.
• Add in 1 ½ chopped onions and 3 chopped carrots and cook for 15 minutes, or until very tender.
• Stir in 3 cloves of minced garlic and 1 ½ tbsp. tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add in 5 chopped tomatoes*, 3 c. chicken stock, 1 large bunch of fresh thyme, a pinch of white sugar, salt, and pepper.
• Cover the pot with a lid and simmer for 45 minutes, or until vegetables are extremely tender.
• Place a strainer over a bowl and pour the soup through it.
• Pour the liquid back into the pot and remove the thyme stems from the solids.
• Puree the solids in a blender** until very smooth and slowly pour back into the pot with the liquid.
• Add in 1/2 c. heavy cream and season the soup with more salt and pepper (as needed) and several dashes of hot sauce.***
• Divide into bowls and top with extra black pepper and grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Serves six - eight
*I used a combination of beefsteak and roma tomatoes.
**Or food processor.
***I used 3/4 tsp. of Sriracha.