- 6
Ingredients
- 6-8 slices french bread 1" thick
- 2 T extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lg yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 lbs ripe tomatoes, peeled & seeded then diced ( can use 2-3 cans of crushed tomatoes)
- 4 C chicken or vegetable stock
- 1/8 C finely chopped basil leaves, plus 8-8 whole leaves
- 1/2 freshly grated parmesan cheese
- salt
- pepper
- oregano
- rosemary
- italian seasoning
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 300*. Place bread slices on a baking sheet & bake until lightly browned, turning once, 10-15 mins total. Set aside. In a lg soup pot over med heat warm the oil, add the onion & sauté, stirring frequently until softened, 5-7 mins. Add the tomatoes & stock, raise the heat to high & bring to a boil. Reduce heat to med- low, cover & cook until tomatoes are softened, about 30 mins. Remove from heat. In a blender or food processor, puree' the soup in batches leaving a little bit of texture, if desired & return the soup to the pot. Alternately process with a hand held blender until the desired consistency is reached. Return the soup to med heat & reheat gently. Add the chopped basil & season to taste with salt & pepper& other seasonings. To serve place a slice of toasted bread in the bottom of each warm bowl & sprinkle with a spoon of parmesan cheese. Ladle the soup on top & garnish with a basil leaf.