Tomato Soup

prep 30 minutes
× 8
This tomato soup is thick, slighly creamy, and very hearty. Unlike store-bought tomato soup, it's also not overburdened with sugar to make it taste good. Instead, I use canned San Marzano tomatoes (often kept in a separate section in the supermarket) as they add a whole different dimension to any tomato dish than even fresh tomatoes grown in the US.

1

  • 2
    28oz cans diced tomatoes
  • ¾ cup
    chicken broth
Drain the tomatoes into a colander over a large pot, pressing lightly to release the liquid. Add the chicken broth to the tomato juice and set aside.

2

  • 3 tbsp
    butter, unsalted
  • 1
    onion, yellow (chopped)
  • 1
    bay leaf
  • 1 tsp
    sugar, brown
Melt the butter in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent. Add ⅔ of the tomatoes, bay leaf, and brown sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to brown (about 5 minutes).

3

  • 2 tbsp
    tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp
    flour, gluten-free mix
  • ½ tsp
    baking soda
  • 1 tsp
    salt
Add the tomato paste and flour to the pot. Continue cooking, stirring frequently now, until the paste begins to darken. Slowly stir in the reserved tomato juice mixture, the remaining tomatoes, baking soda, and salt. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to medium-low heat to simmer until slightly thickened (about 5 minutes). Then, remove from the heat.

4

  • ½ cup
    heavy cream
  • 1 tsp
    black pepper
Discard the bay leaf. Purée the soup in batches in a large blender if you want a smooth soup, or just skip this step if you'd like to keep some texture. Return the puréed soup to the pot and bring back to a low simmer. Add the heavy cream and pepper.