SNOWY DAY = TOMATO SOUP
Another snowy Saturday in Wisconsin, what is a girl to do ? Winter passes by a little more smoothly with a pot of soup on the stove. A bubbly delicious soup warms your tummy and your heart. You can quote me on that one if you want! As long as I can remember, tomato soup with a grilled cheese to dunk in it has been a family favorite. I think it might be the perfect definition of comfort food. It is equally comforting on a snowy day in the winter, and a rainy day in the summer.
vine on tomatoes
Get Ready For Mouth Watering Smells!!
garlic
I like to use a combination of fresh and canned tomatoes in my soup. I think it adds a richness to the taste of the soup. It all starts in a traditional way with olive oil sizzling away in your favorite big pot with some shallots, carrots and garlic. The warm and inviting aroma quickly fills your kitchen with guaranteed tummy rumbles. Adding the red wine and balsamic vinegar create a sweet magnificence to the soup. The flavors simmer perfectly together, and only become better when the seasonings are added to the pot.
Where Did I Put THE IMMERSION BLENDER???
After everything has simmered away for awhile, you have a a big decision to make. If you have an immersion blender, this is the time to pull it out! Be very careful to keep the whirring blade under the soup level, or you will have spattered rosy red walls. ( and a big mess to clean up) This advice is written with experience all over it. I still like a little bit of chunky carrots and tomatoes in my soup, but please blend to your hearts content. For fans of silky smooth soup, you may pour the soup through a sieve. At this point in the soup preparation I CAN’T WAIT, so I skip this step.
MELTED CHEESE….
Sooner or later, it all comes down to melted cheese. A grilled cheese sandwich makes a perfect dipping partner for tomato soup. I like mixing a few cheeses together and grilling them until they are ooooey and goooey. For the soup pictured in this recipe, I used a parmesan gouda and cheddar, but there is really no wrong answer when two or more cheeses are being melted together. A perfect lunch or dinner for a snowy winter day!
PrintRich and Creamy Tomato Soup
Try to resist this creamy tomato soup bubbling away on the stove top … It is full of ripe tomatoes, red wine, and a touch of balsamic vinegar
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 1/2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 6 - 8 servings 1x
- Category: soup
- Method: stove top
Ingredients
3–4 TB olive oil
4 chopped shallots
4 medium carrots, thinly sliced
3 medium cloves of garlic minced
3 14.5oz cans of diced tomatoes ( may use seasoned variety if desired )
4–5 pounds of vine ripened tomatoes – chopped
1 cup red wine
2 TB balsamic vinegar
2 TB sugar
4 oz tomato paste
2 cartons of chicken stock
3 tsp salt ( more to taste if desired )
2 tsp white pepper
1 cup whipping cream
9 basil leaves chopped
5 sprigs of fresh thyme stripped
Instructions
Combine the olive oil, shallots, and carrots in a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium low heat.
Cook for 5-7 minutes until tender
Add garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes being careful to continue to stir so the garlic does not burn
Add the canned and fresh tomatoes, red wine, balsamic vinegar, sugar, tomato paste, chicken stock, salt, pepper, basil and thyme
Raise the heat to medium high and bring the soup to a boil – stirring occasionally
Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour minimum
Add the whipping cream – bring back to simmer
If desired, puree the soup with an immersion blender, or regular blender
If ultra smooth consistency is desired, pour the soup through a sieve
Serve with grilled cheese and fresh basil garnish
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