Creamy Tomato Tarragon Soup Food

ROASTED-TOMATO AND TARRAGON SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss together tomatoes, onions, garlic and oil; season with salt and pepper. Arrange vegetables in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until tomatoes are deep brown in spots and onions are soft, 45 minutes.
• Transfer vegetables and all juices to a large dutch oven or heavy pot. Add chicken broth and bring to a rapid simmer. Cook until slightly reduced, about 25 minutes.
• Transfer soup to a large bowl. In batches, fill blender halfway with soup, puree until smooth, transferring to pot as you work (use caution when blending hot liquids). Stir in tarragon and season with salt and pepper. If necessary thin with additional chicken broth. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil.

CREAMY TOMATO-TARRAGON SOUP

Steps:

• In medium saucepan, over medium heat, melt butter.
• Add onions and cook about 3 minutes, stirring often, until softened.
• Add tomatoes and 3/4 cup water; bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer about 30 seconds, or until vegetables are tender.
• Transfer to a blender or food processor; puree until smooth, in batches if necessary.
• Set a medium-fine strainer over saucepan.
• Pour puree into strainer, pressing on the solids with a spatula or spoon to extract as much pulp as possible; discard skin and seeds.
• Whisk sour cream and tarragon into the soup.
• If soup is too thick, add a small amount of water.
• Stir over low heat until soup is hot (do not allow it to boil).
• Season with salt and pepper.
• The soup can also be made in advance and served cold.

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 TOMATO SOUP

Steps:

• Put the oil, onions, celery, carrots, potatoes and bay leaves in a big casserole dish, or two saucepans. Fry gently until the onions are softened - about 10-15 mins. Fill the kettle and boil it.
• Stir in the tomato purée, sugar, vinegar, chopped tomatoes and passata, then crumble in the stock cubes. Add 1 litre boiling water and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 15 mins until the potato is tender, then remove the bay leaves. Purée with a stick blender (or ladle into a blender in batches) until very smooth. Season to taste and add a pinch more sugar if it needs it. The soup can now be cooled and chilled for up to 2 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
• To serve, reheat the soup, stirring in the milk - try not to let it boil. Serve in small bowls for the children with cheesy sausage rolls then later in bowls for the adults as Hot Bloody Mary soup (see 'Goes well with' recipes, below).

REAL TOMATO SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large pan, then tip in the onion and garlic. Cook over a moderate heat until the onion has softened, about 5 mins. Stir in the tomato purée, then pour in the chopped tomatoes and basil leaves, and bring up to the boil. Turn the heat down and leave to simmer for about 15 mins until thick and full of flavour. If you like a smooth soup, whizz the mixture at this point to form a smooth sauce. Can now be cooled and frozen for up to 1 month.
• To finish the soup, tip the tomato mixture into a pan. Spoon the baking soda into a small bowl and pour over 1 tbsp or so of the milk. Mix together until there are no lumps, then tip into the tomato mix and pour over the milk. Bring up to a boil (the mixture will froth, but don't worry - it will go away). Gently simmer for about 5 mins until ready to serve.

CREAMY TOMATO SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a medium stockpot over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic (if using), stirring constantly, until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes.
• Add tomatoes, their juices, and stock. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
• Working in batches, transfer tomato mixture to a blender, food processor, or food mill. Puree tomato mixture (if using a blender, cover the lid with a kitchen towel while machine is running).
• Return soup to a clean pot and set over low heat. Whisk in cream, if desired; season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately or transfer soup to a bowl set over an ice-water bath to cool completely. Transfer cooled soup to an airtight container and refrigerate. Reheat over medium heat until heated through.

CHILLED TOMATO-TARRAGON SOUP WITH CROUTONS

Steps:

• Mix 1/4 cup oil and 4 tablespoons tarragon in bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Brush over both sides of bread. Toast bread in large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer croutons to plate.
• Meanwhile, heat 1/4 cup oil in another large skillet over medium heat. Add 4 cups tomatoes, next 3 ingredients, and 3 tablespoons tarragon. Sauté until vegetables just begin to soften, about 6 minutes. Stir in tomato paste. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover; cook until tomatoes and shallots are soft, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
• Strain soup into bowl, pressing with rubber spatula to extract as much of the juice and solids as possible. Discard solids in sieve. Season soup with salt and pepper.
• Freeze soup just until cold, about 30 minutes. Ladle into bowls. Top with croutons; sprinkle with 1/4 cup chopped tomatoes.