Tasty Tuesday: Mel’s Favorite Tomato Soup

Just a note: Starting next week I am going to have a special series here on Tasty Tuesday. It will be called Sweet March Madness and will feature…you guessed it…sweets.

This is a recipe I have used for the past couple of years from the Food Network. It is easy to make and goes great with grilled cheese sandwiches or a salad and is particularly good on cold rainy or snowy days. One note about the seasonings. I use basil because it is my all time favorite herb. BUT, if you want to go another direction, that would work too. For a Tex Mex flavor, add cumin and maybe a few green chilis. Make it hot with some cayenne or crushed red pepper. Some grilled chicken and fried tortilla strips makes it a nice meal.

HOMEMADE TOMATO SOUP

• 1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 small carrot, diced
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, optional (I use fat free half and half and that works, while cutting down on the fat content. And while the recipe says optional, it isn’t for me. I like it creamy.)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Strain the chopped canned tomatoes, reserving the juices, and spread onto a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, to taste, drizzle with 1/4 cup of the olive oil and roast until caramelized, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat remaining olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the celery, carrot, onion and garlic, cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the roasted chopped canned tomatoes, reserved tomato juices, chicken broth, bay leaf and butter. Simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add basil and cream, if using. Puree with a hand held immersion blender until smooth.