Easy Summer tomato soup

I don’t make a lot of soups in the summer with two exceptions: tomato soups and corn soups. Making a soup with fresh tomatoes or fresh corm is a special treat that I reserve for summer cooking.

A farmer nearby grows small round tomatoes that are juicy, sweet and delicious. I put a bunch of them in my Le Creuset pot with olive oil, onion, garlic and stock and a while later I have a special fresh and delicious soup that you cannot reproduce out of season. It’s all about the fresh taste of the vine ripe tomatoes.

I puree the soup with an immersion blender, seeds, skins and all and do not use anything to thicken it other than the tomatoes themselves. This soup together an interesting salad makes a lovely summer lunch or dinner.

I sometime drizzle the soup with basil oil mixed with a few bread crumb. To make this chop up a few basil leaves very fine, drizzle with olive oil and add a few bread crumbs. spoon this over the soup if you wish.

Depending on the tomatoes you use if you find the soup too thin for your liking you can thicken it with the addition of tomato paste or even a can of Italian tomatoes packed in tomato puree, or add more tomatoes. For me 3 lb tomatoes with 4 cups stock is about right.

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Ingredients:

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1/4 cup olive oil

1 summer onion

3 cloves garlic

3 lb vine ripe summer tomatoes

4 cups full flavour stock (vegetables or chicken), more as needed

Salt and freshly ground pepper

3-4 sprigs of basil, left intact

Note: Depending on the tomatoes you use if you find the soup too thin for your liking you can thicken it with the addition of tomato paste or even a can of Italian plum tomatoes packed in tomato puree, or, add more tomatoes. For me 3 lb tomatoes and 4 cups stock is about right.

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Directions:

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Heat oli in a le Creuset or another soup pot over medium heat, add onion and cook until softened.

Add garlic and cook until fragrant.

Add the tomatoes and a cup of stock and bring to a boil, coverd. cook covered for a few minutes until the tomatoes soften.

Add the rest of the stock and the basil and bring to a boil.

Lower heat, partially cover the pot and cook until the tomatoes have softened and are breaking down, about 20 minutes.

Remove the basil and set aside.

Puree the soup with an immersion blender until smooth but do not over blend.

Return the basil to the soup, add salt and pepper and keep cooking another 10 minutes.

Taste, adjust the seasoning and serve hot.

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