Creamy Tomato Balsamic Soup Food

CREAM OF FRESH TOMATO SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and carrots and saute for about 10 minutes, until very tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste, basil, chicken stock, salt, and pepper and stir well. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes are very tender.
• Add the cream to the soup and process it through a food mill into a bowl, discarding only the dry pulp that's left. Reheat the soup over low heat just until hot and serve with julienned basil leaves and/or croutons.

CREAMY ROASTED TOMATO SOUP WITH GRILLED FONTINA-MUSHROOM SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place tomatoes in a large baking dish and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and sprinkle with the garlic, season with salt and pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the tomatoes are soft.
• Heat the remaining olive oil in a medium stock pot over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and cook until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the roasted tomatoes, garlic, and the juices that have accumulated. Add the stock and fresh thyme and cook for 20 minutes. Place the cream in a small saucepan over medium high heat and cook until reduced by half. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth, strain into a clean saucepan over low heat, add the reduced cream, and cook for 5 minutes.
• For the Grilled Fontina-Mushroom Sandwich: Heat olive oil in a large saute pan, add the mushrooms, and cook until golden brown. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in the sage. Brush the bread on 1 side with the butter. Turn 4 of the slices over on a work surface. Divide the cheese among the slices then divide the mushrooms on top of the cheese. Cover with the remaining 4 slices of bread, butter-side up.
• Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add the sandwiches and cook, turning once, until golden, about 2 minutes per side.

QUICK CREAMY TOMATO SOUP

Steps:

• Combine broth and tomatoes in a medium saucepan over moderate heat. When soup bubbles, stir in heavy cream and reduce heat to low. Season with a little salt and pepper and simmer gently 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. With an immersion blender, puree soup. Serve bowls of soup with basil chiffonade and floating Soup Toppers.
• Toast bread slices in your toaster until golden. Rub the toasted bread rounds with crushed garlic, if using. Arrange bread on cookie or baking sheet. Drizzle each slice with extra-virgin oil and top with a grind of black pepper and a layer of shredded cheese. Place under hot broiler to melt cheese until toppers are golden brown in color.

CREAMY BALSAMIC TOMATO SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500.
• Combine 1/2 cup broth, brown sugar, vinegar & soy sauce in small bowl.
• Place onion, garlic and tomoatoes in a baking pan. Pour above mixture over tomatoes & bake for 50 minutes.
• Place tomato mixture, remaining broth and half-and-half in blender (a little at a time) and blend until smooth. You could also use an immersion blender in a stock pot.
• If picky about lumps, strain mixture through sieve.
• Serve topped with fresh black pepper.

CREAMY TOMATO SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large saucepan.
• Saute celery, carrots and onions in melted butter until tender.
• Stir in flour.
• Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Add the tomatoes, sugar, basil, marjoram, bay leaf and chicken stock.
• Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Remove from heat and discard bay leaf.
• Puree well (in batches) in a food processor or blender, or use a thunderstick.
• Add all remaining ingredients and stir well.
• Reheat to serve hot, or refrigerate and serve cold later. It also works at room temperature, but I like warm to hot best.