Ingredients
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3 tablespoons olive oil
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2 carrots, unpeeled and chopped
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1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
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4 lbs vine-ripened tomatoes, coarsely chopped (5 large)
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1 teaspoon sugar
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1 tablespoon tomato paste
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1/4 cup packed chopped fresh basil leaf, plus julienned basil leaves, for garnish
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3 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
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1 tablespoon kosher salt
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1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
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3/4 cup heavy cream or 3/4 cup half-and-half
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crouton, for garnish
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1 1/2 cups chopped red onions (2 onions)
Instructions
- 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.