Ingredients
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1 tablespoon olive oil
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1 medium onion, chopped
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2 celery ribs, chopped
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2 medium carrots, chopped
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3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
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4 cups chicken stock or 4 cups vegetable stock
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4 cups chopped ripe tomatoes or 4 cups canned Italian tomatoes, drained
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1/2 cup sun-dried tomato (not in oil)
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1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil
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1 cup half-and-half or 1 cup heavy cream
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sugar
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salt
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chopped chives (to garnish)
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fresh ground pepper
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1 large potato, peeled and diced
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over moderate heat.
- Add the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic and sauté until tender but not brown, about 5 minutes.
- Add the stock, tomatoes, potato, sun-dried tomatoes, and basil.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer covered for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
- Puree in a food processor, or blender, in small batches until smooth.
- Strain through a fine sieve if desired.
- Stir in the milk or cream and season with sugar, salt, and pepper.
- Serve garnished with chopped chives.
- This soup gets an additional tomato punch from the concentrated flavor of the sun-dried tomatoes.