Take a vacation in your soup bowl

Back in 2012, Dave and I had the good fortune to take a trip to Italy for our 20th anniversary. It's probably not hard to believe that the food was tied with the scenery as the most amazing part of our trip. One dish in particular, that we enjoyed in Sorrento, was a simple Italian-style tomato basil soup. I'm sure everyone is familiar with this goodness, because a good tomato soup (with a grilled cheese of course) is quite popular here too. The biggest difference with the Italian version is that ingredients are fresh, and there is no cream. It is a bowl of goodness that is healthy and yummy and totally worth the time.

Since it's tomato time and my herb garden is overflowing (and I needed a lazy Sunday activity), I whipped up a batch this weekend and wanted to share.

Before you get started, the most important part of this recipe is to have a yummy beverage to enjoy while you're cooking. For summer, a good local Rosé did the trick for me. :)

Once you've got your beverage in hand, the next important step is good, fresh tomatoes and basil. I have found that Roma or Plum tomatoes work best for this recipe.

Here's what you're going to need:

For Step 1:

3 lbs. tomatoes

2-4 TBSP olive oil

1 TBSP salt

1 TBSP cracked black pepper

To get started, preheat your oven to 400 degrees, and slice the tomatoes (lengthwise) and put them on a shallow sheet pan or roasting dish. Sprinkle with the olive oil, salt and pepper and ensure all your halves are cut side up. Once the oven is ready, roast for 45 minutes (and enjoy the yummy smell!).

Okay, sip some more wine and peruse a nice magazine while you wait. Once the tomatoes are done roasting, put them on the stovetop to cool a bit, and work on the next step.

For Step 2:

1 shallot

6 gloves garlic

2 TBSP butter + 2 TBSP olive oil

1/2 TSP red pepper flakes

4 C basil

1 28 oz. can whole Roma Tomatoes in their juice 

1 TSP fresh thyme leaves

1/2 C leftover red wine from your fridge

1 QT chicken stock

Salt to taste

The most important part of this step is to get that nice, fresh basil ready to roll. You are going to need FOUR CUPS, which is a LOT of basil. If you are buying from the store, this is going to require several packages. Basil grows fast, so if you haven't already, consider planting it in a small pot at home. I cook a lot of Italian food, so I find I use it plenty, and for a small up front cost, it's a great investment (and makes the planting area smell so yummy too).

After you've got the basil ready to go, rough chop your garlic and shallot. You'll be processing the final product, so no need to fine chop anything.

Melt the butter in a pan, add the olive oil, and saute the shallot, garlic and red pepper flakes just until the shallot is turning brown on the edges. Once that's done, add the rest of the ingredients (except salt), plus your roasted tomatoes and all the juices in the pan. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat and simmer (uncovered) for 40 minutes.

    

Once the simmering is done, you are ready to process your soup. The options are a food mill or food processor. What to use will depend upon your preference for the consistency of the soup. For a chunkier soup, the mill is the way to go. I think the finest mill setting makes a yummy product. If you want the soup super smooth, the food processor is definitely your best bet. Just be prepared in either case to do the soup in batches, as you will have a lot of soup to process! A note on the salt. I prefer to wait until this step to add salt to taste. The stock is quite salty, so taste and add until you are happy with the end product. For me, this is typically only about 1 to 2 teaspoons.

Once you're done, it's time to eat! I prefer some fresh cracked pepper, shaved parmesan and a little basil garnish. Sit back, relax, and daydream about the beaches of Sorrento. You're almost there!