I just had soup for breakfast. I know. Because this soup recipe I am sharing with you today is that good. Plus, I needed pics for this post, so why not eat the soup too?
I love this season of cooking. Fall, early winter, late winter, and early spring. It is the season of soups. Big buckets of delicious soup. Steaming bowls of delicious soup. Accompanied by salads, or rolls, or sandwiches.
My favorite soups are rather thick and chunky. No perfectly pureed-ness for this girl. Which is why I really am not a fan of tomato soup out of a can. Not even Campbells. But I am loving Panera Bread's tomato soup. There is nothing smooth about that crazy good stuff!
No matter how much I love PB's tomato soup, I really can't afford (financially or otherwise) to eat it as much as I would like to. So, I got it into my head to start searching for tomato soup recipes.
I found several recipes-some more basic than others. But then I found the recipe that I settled on. I tested it on a friend, whipping up a batch exactly as it was written. But, the second time I made it, I tweaked the recipe a bit. I made it more tomato-y, plus added and subtracted some other things. Here is my version...
Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
2 (28 ounce) cans of crushed tomatoes
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 cup finely chopped carrots
1 cup finely chopped celery
2 Tbsp oil
4 cups chicken broth (or bullion and water)
1 Tbsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
1 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cups half and half
salt and pepper
-Heat the oil in a 4 quart soup pot. Add celery, onion and carrots. Saute' 5 minutes. Add basil, oregano, bay leaf, tomatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until carrots are tender, about 25-30 minutes.
-While the soup simmers, prepare a roux. Melt butter over low heat, add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 5-7 minutes. Slowly stir in a cup of hot soup. Add another 3 cups and stir until smooth. Add back into the soup pot.
-Warm the half and half.
-Simmer, stirring constantly, until the soup begins to thicken. Add the parmesan cheese and whisk to blend. Stir in the half and half, and add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Now, let me tell you, grilled cheese sandwiches are always a great accompaniment to tomato soup. They go together like a horse and carriage, or love and marriage.
But another fabulous sandwich-tomato soup pairing that of a Turkey Chipotle Mayo sandwich with Creamy Tomato Basil Soup. There are no words...
Layer your turkey on good homemade (or not) bread slices generously slathered with the chipotle mayo. Add a slice or two of cheddar cheese, and sink your teeth into that amazingness.
Chipotle Mayo
3-4 (or more) chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
1 Tbsp oregano
2 cloves garlic
2 cups mayonaise
-In a blender, place the mayo, lime juice, dried oregano, garlic and chipotle peppers (with their sauce). Blend until smooth. Add more lime juice or peppers according to your flavor/spicy preference. The mayo should be a pretty orange color with little green specks.
What is your favorite soup and sandwich combination?
