Tomato Basil Soup

I absolutely LOVE tomato basil soup. It is a staple item that I order each time I go to Fresh to Order. I was super excited when they finally opened a location in the CNN Center because I ate there regularly and even picked up dinner on the way home. So – since I don’t work there anymore Fresh to Order is not as convenient for me! The other day I got a craving for tomato basil soup and I thought really  hard about going to F2O to purchase a couple of bowls --- but then I decided to google a recipe and learn to make it myself. It was absolutely delicious. I have been eating it for the past 2 days and it seems to get better  by the day. I’ll admit my husband wasn't too excited about it as he asked “where’s the meat?” – but he tasted it and thought it had a nice flavor. The soup was delicious, super easy, one that I will definitely be making again.

Caveats:

1. The recipe calls for 4 cups of fresh basil leaves. I thought I bought enough, but I only ended up with 3 cups. It was still delicious. I’ll be sure to get enough next time.

2. Also, it states to pass the soup through a food mill. I do not have a food mill and to be honest and didn’t know what a food mill was until I googled itJ I ended up pouring the soup in my NINJA blender and it was just fine. It was a little chunky, so not as smooth as the soup from F20, but I actually liked the chunks.

Recipe Credit: Food Network

INGREDIENTS

3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (28-ounce) canned plum tomatoes, with their juice
4 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 quart chicken stock or water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss together the tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread the tomatoes in 1 layer on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes.

In an 8-quart stockpot over medium heat, saute the onions and garlic with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the butter, and red pepper flakes for 10 minutes, until the onions start to brown. Add the canned tomatoes, basil, thyme, and chicken stock. Add the oven-roasted tomatoes, including the liquid on the baking sheet. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Pass through a food mill fitted with the coarsest blade. Taste for seasonings. Serve hot or cold.