GARDEN TOMATO SOUP

One of my summer goals was to prepare tomato soup by hand… By”from scratch,” I mean whole tomatoes that are not canned. The soup made of fresh tomatoes is a different animal than soup made with canned tomatoes. Neither is less delicious than one other. I love both soups because of their distinct qualities; however, I’d never made soup from scratch and was determined to try it.

Even though this recipe calls for tons of fresh veggies that need to be chopped, diced, and then chopped before cooking it, the dish is quick and straightforward. I didn’t want to go out to purchase one pint of cream, so I decided to make use of the trick I learned in the food service industry to make soups seem “creamy” without using cream (we utilized this technique in a gazpacho made of fresh green). The secret ingredient is breadcrumbs. A tiny portion of bread crumbs is cooked into the soup to give it a thicker texture and an amazingly creamy flavor. I was awestruck by the creamy, buttery taste after tasting the soup that I wanted to know who had slipped butter into the soup… however, I realized it was me who was the sole one at home, so it must be breadcrumb. Amazing.

I based my recipe on Emeril Lagasse’s recipe, and I made a few changes.

If you prefer something other than freshly-picked tomato soup, keep an eye on it. I’ll likely whip up a soup using canned tomatoes shortly.

GARDEN TOMATO SOUP

INGREDIENTS

1. Yellow onion ($0.42)

Three ribs of celery ($0.37)

Two carrots ($0.25)

Three cloves of garlic ($0.12)

1 cup olive oil($0.42)

4 lbs. ripe tomatoes (about 5) ($3.41)

2 cups chicken broth ($0.20)

1 cup of plain breadcrumbs ($0.09)

1/2 2 tablespoons brown sugar ($0.02)

1.5 teaspoons salt (or to your taste) ($0.05)

1/2 cup fresh, loosely packed basil ($0.50)

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce ($0.05)

Freshly cracked black pepper, freshly crushed to taste ($0.05)

INSTRUCTIONS

Finely chop the celery, onion, and garlic. Clean, then shred and chop the carrots (use a large cheese shredder). Cook the carrots in a large saucepan with 1 cup olive oil on moderate heat until softened (10-15 minutes).

Clean and cut the tomatoes. Please include them in the simmered vegetables and cook until the tomatoes soften and begin to break (about 10 minutes).

Add the chicken broth with the remaining ingredients: breadcrumbs, salt pepper, white sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and chopped basil. Cook for another 10 minutes.

In batches, blend the mixture using a blender until smooth. Be careful; the hot liquids that are combined are hazardous!