Easy, Rustic Tomato Soup

Here is a wonderful update of an historic comfort food for many. Please, do not confuse this with your childhood version of tomato soup in that red and white can. Don’t get me wrong, I have great memories of that, along with a very basic grilled cheese. Growing up, that was a pretty standard Friday night dinner and I always enjoyed it.

This however, is a major step up in flavor and is a snap to make. Although this could be on the table in under an hour, active time to get this going is only about ten minutes,. This makes a great for a nice lunch or you could serve it alongside a simple grilled cheese and make it a dinner. If you are feeling creative, you could really amp things up and try one of my favorite grilled cheeses.

INGREDIENTS
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. butter
large sweet onion, chopped
1 small garlic clove, smashed
1/2 cup white wine
3 – 29 oz. cans whole peeled tomatoes
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup light cream
handful of fresh basil
1/3 -1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar

DIRECTIONS
First, in a large pot, add the oil, butter, onion and garlic; sauté until the onions are translucent. Next, add the wine and reduce it by about half. No need to be precise here, just let it bubble for about 5-10 minutes. Then, reduce the heat to a simmer, add the tomatoes and chicken stock, and cook for another 30 minutes.

Next, add the cream and basil (reserve some for a garnish), then simmer for an additional ten minutes. Remove from the heat and use an immersion blender to puree the soup. If you don’t have an immersion blender (and you should!), a regular blender would work, it’s just a lot messier.

Then, add the cheddar cheese and stir to combine. There should be enough residual heat to melt all of the cheese. It is essential that the heat is off when adding the cheese, otherwise, it will stick to the bottom of the pan. Season to taste with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. However, be careful with the salt, since the tomatoes have a fair amount of sodium on their own. Finally, serve with a sprinkle of fresh julienned basil and your favorite grilled cheese.

Additionally, if you have any good leftover bread, make some croutons to garnish the soup. I promise, you won’t be disappointed. Also, since I like a little bit of a kick, I often add a shake or two of crushed red pepper. However, that is definitely optional.