I don’t know if this happens to anyone else, but when the weather turns colder, my inner eight-year-old starts to crave Campbell’s tomato soup and grilled cheese.
Here’s my grown-up version.
This frequently shows up on our table on weeknights when we don’t have a ton of time to cook. Because the recipe calls for canned tomatoes, you can get it on the table in just over a half an hour.
It’s warm, filling, and rich. All you need is a good bottle of wine and a loaf of chewy, rustic bread—or, of course, a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches made with gooey brie, fontina, or good old American cheese.
It makes enough for about two bowls.
Quick & Creamy Tomato Soup
2 Tbls. olive oil
3 fresh bay leaves
1 28-oz. can ground, peeled tomatoes
3 cloves of garlic, minced or put through a press
3/4 cup chicken stock
freshly cracked black pepper
2 Tbls. butter
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 Tbls. fresh parsley, minced + more for garnish
grated Parmesan cheese
Add the olive oil to a medium-sized sauce pot. Pick your pot up and tilt it around to coat the bottom.
Add the bay leaves to the olive oil. Saute the leaves for about a minute over medium heat. You just want to warm them up, not brown them. (If you substitute dry bay leaves for fresh, watch them extra close.)
Add the tomatoes to the pot.
Toss in the minced garlic.
Stir to combine.
Pour in the chicken stock.
Stir well again to combine. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring it to a simmer.
When it’s simmering, lower the heat to medium, and cover the pot. Crack the lid so that a little steam can escape.
Simmer like this for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If it feels like it’s sticking to the bottom of the pot, lower the heat a little.
After 20 minutes, uncover your pot and turn the heat off (to avoid splatters).
Your soup will have reduced a little, and should look about like this:
Give it a good stir so it’s uniform. It’ll be pretty thick.
Add a little freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
Toss in the butter.
Stir to combine and melt the butter completely.
When it’s melted, pour in the cream.
Stir to combine really well until the soup is uniform in consistency.
Your soup will be thick and creamy, with small bits of tomato in it. If you want a smoother soup, yank out the bay leaves and puree it quickly with a traditional or hand-held stick blender. I skipped this step tonight.
Cover the pot again. Crack the lid. Turn the stove on again with the heat on low. Cook like this, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes. If it feels like it’s sticking to the bottom, lower the heat a little.
After 10 minutes, turn the heat off and uncover. Stir well. Then add the parsley.
Stir to combine. It should look about like this:
At this point, taste your soup. Depending on the brand of ground tomatoes you used, your soup might be a little acidic. If that’s the case, add a little more cream or butter to balance out the tartness.
Ladle out into bowls and garnish with a little minced parsley and grated Parmesan.
Serve and enjoy!
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Copyright 2008 The Hungry Mouse�/Jessica B. Konopa. All rights reserved.
