Creamy Tomato-Basil Soup

By cwyorkiex3

Ingredients

• Yield: 4 to 6 large servings
• Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes packed in juice
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 3 large slices good-quality sandwich bread, crusts removed, torn into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Preparation

Step 1

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, red pepper flakes and bay leaf. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Mix in the tomatoes and their juice. Using a potato masher, mash the tomatoes to break them down into smaller pieces (no bigger than 2 inches). Stir in the sugar and bread then bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bread is completely saturated and starts to break down, about 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaf.

2. Turn off the heat under the pot, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and puree the soup with an immersion blender (or, if you don’t have one, in a traditional blender – you’ll probably want to do it in 2 or 3 batches. Split the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over the batches as you puree.) You can strain the soup through a fine-mesh strainer if you want a perfectly smooth consistency. Stir the chicken broth into the soup and return the soup to a boil. Season to taste with salt and pepper and remove from heat. Stir in the basil and serve.