Lundi: Recipes

The only people at my house who will eat tomato soup are me and my older daughter.  That means this recipe doesn’t get to the stove a whole lot around chez Pauline.  These facts don’t preclude me from offering you my grandma’s delicious tomato soup recipe, however.

3 pounds ripe heirloom tomatoes, cut in half (back when Gran made this recipe for me, the tomatoes were plump off the vines my grandfather grew; yum!)

¼ tbsps olive oil (the best you can get), plus a little more for onion sauté

Salt & pepper to taste

1 large onion, chopped

Pat unsalted butter

1 28 oz can plum tomatoes with juice

3 tbsps basil

1 tsp thyme

16 cups good, low sodium chicken stock

Tabasco pepper sauce (optional)

Preheat oven to 400.

Toss tomatoes and olive oil, salt and pepper and spread evenly on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Bake for about 45 to 50 minutes.

In a large pot or Dutch oven, sauté the onion in olive oil and butter until the onion browns, about 10 minutes.  Add the canned tomatoes, chicken stock and herbs.  Add the tomatoes from the oven, including any juice.  Bring all to a boil and then turn down to a simmer.  Allow to cook uncovered for at least an hour.  Taste for seasoning and add salt and/or pepper as necessary.  Spice it up with a few shakes of Tabasco if you’re so inclined.

You can serve this soup as it comes out of the pot or puree it with a blender or stick mixer if you prefer the classic, smooth tomato soup.  Either way, it’s delicious.  Bon appetite ~

Header: Market Woman by Pieter Aertsen