My flourishing herb garden is making meals so much tastier these days! There's nothing I love more than fresh basil, so now that I can reach out my window and grab a handful, I'm on a mission to use it for more than just pesto. Nestie jdsegarr's Fire Roasted Tomato Basil Soup is a great way to incorporate some of this good green stuff in a tasty soup. Try it and tell us what you think! Read on to find the full recipe.
Fire Roasted Tomato Basil Soup from
The Novice Chef
Ingredients
3 (14 ounce) cans of Hunt’s Fire Roasted Tomatoes
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup half and half
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
2 ounces olive oil
20 fresh basil leaves (rolled and cut into a chiffonade)
1. In a heavy pot on medium high heat, pour in the olive oil and saute onion until translucent. Add the chopped garlic (except for 1 clove) and heat with the onion for about four minutes.
2. Add the cans of fire roasted tomatoes including the juice to the pan and cover for about 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
3. With the lid off the pan, add the chicken broth and half & half and bring the pot to a simmer. The mixture should start to thicken as it reduces, after about 10 minutes.
4. When it's the right consistency, add the remaining chopped garlic clove and fresh basil (reserve some for a garnish) and season to taste with salt and pepper. Lower your heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes more.
5. Ladle the soup mixture into the blender and puree until smooth. You can do this in batches as well. Be careful while handling hot soup and blend mixture until all the big chunks are gone (but be sure not to make it too smooth!).
6. Serve with a small sprinkle of the reserved basil as a garnish.
jdsegarr's tip: If your soup is a bit thin, let it simmer a bit longer while occasionally stirring.
-- Anni Fotopoulos
Jun 28, 2010