Soup: Tomato Cream Soup

By SharonE

Hated tomato soup until I went to Germany and had my first real tomato soup...heaven. This is a German recipe and often they top off the soup with a little vodka. This is a super labor intensive soup because it is quite thick and requires you to mash the tomatoes through a sieve (after you've blended!) but well worth it.

Ingredients

• 2 oz. double-smoked slab bacon cut into cubes
• 2 large yellow onions, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
• 1 large whole bay leaf
• 1 tsp. dried leaf marjoram, crumbled
• 1/2 tsp. dried leaf thyme, crumbled
• 3 1/2 cups coarsely chopped, peeled, cored and seeded ripe tomatoes (5-6) OR 3 1/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp. finely snipped fresh chives or parsley

Preparation

Step 1

Sauté the bacon over moderate heat, stirring often, in a medium-size heavy pot until all drippings cook out and only crisp brown bits remain—about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, lift the bacon bits to paper towel and reserve. Add onions, shallots, bay leaf, marjoram and thyme and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are glossy. Reduce heat to lowest point, cover for 20 minutes. Add tomatoes, raise heat to moderately low, and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes, stirring often. Mix in the broth and sugar. Bring to a boil, adjust heat so the soup bubbles gently, then simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes, stirring now and then; remove and discard bay leaf.


Cool soup 15 minutes, then purée in batches in a food processor fitted with the metal chopping blade for 15 to 20 seconds. Force purée through sieve. Return soup to pot, add pepper and cream and bring slowly to serving temperature, stirring now and then. Taste to see if it needs any salt. Add the butter, and, as soon as it melts, stir the soup well and ladle into soup plates. Sprinkle the chives and reserved bacon bits over each portion and serve.