Since we moved to Quincy (and got our kitchen unpacked), I’ve been cooking mostly summer comfort meals. Penne pasta with veggies and goat cheese; a store-bought pizza crust topped with the same; risotto with tomatoes and thyme; sandwiches with whatever we have on hand. With all the changes swirling around us right now, I haven’t had the mental energy to cook long, complicated meals.
But on Monday (and Tuesday, for that matter), it rained buckets all day – sheets of drizzle covered me whenever I got out of the car to dash to yoga, the grocery store or anywhere else. By 2:30 on Monday, I’d had it with running around, and decided I wasn’t going anywhere else that night. And I’d also decided: I was making soup.
My friend Rachel gave me this recipe, adapted from Everyday Food. She made it for us one night this spring, when we had coffee night on her deck, and oh my, it’s delicious. Here’s my variation:
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
A handful of basil leaves (to taste)
Tomatoes (I used about a dozen)
Chicken broth (about 2 cups)
Cream (if desired)
Saute onion and garlic in a little olive oil – about 2-3 T. When everything is tender (but not brown), add tomatoes, roughly chopped, and basil, torn or chopped. Add chicken broth, stir and bring to a boil. Turn heat down and let simmer until the tomatoes begin to break down (15-20 minutes). Add half a stick of butter, if desired.
When it looks like this, transfer the mixture to a blender, 3-4 cups at a time, and process to a smooth, creamy consistency. Transfer the blended soup to a large bowl or pot, and continue blending until you reach the desired texture. Return to pot and simmer for another 10 minutes or so. Add salt or pepper to taste, if desired.
Add cream to individual bowls, if desired. Serve hot, with crusty bread. Yum.
Oh bless you for posting this recipe, I have never made home made tomato soup but since recently mastering homemade chicken noodle soup I have been hoping to stumble upon a recipe from a reliable source 🙂
Chilly nights….I’m just green with envy as I sweat out our “lows” of 90!
It’s good to see your blog active and you adapting to your new home xoxo
p.s. love the new banner pic!
Oh my. Since it is creamy, I think my kids would love this! Not to mention me! : )
Loving your Boston adventures. Do you get to take a little holiday from work? (Have you read Phyllis Tickle’s THE SHAPING OF A LIFE? She enjoyed a few summer months of respite after she first got married and it sounds lovely in her words.)
That tomato soup looks like jst the perfect meal for a rainy, cool day! Yummy. You’ve made me hungry for a bug bowl from my favorite La Madeleine.
I can vouch for the yumminess of this soup! The day we had it at Rachel’s, I had just had a wisdom tooth removed, the breeze was just a tad chilly that night, and this soup was absolutely perfect! 🙂 Thanks for sharing the recipe!
yumm It is starting to get chilly here and this sounds soo good I will have to give it a dabble 🙂
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