Tomato Soup #SoupSwapParty

I am so excited for today's post. The heat and humidity finally ended yesterday and it feels like Fall. To celebrate I have a delicious tomato soup recipe for you from  Soup Swap: Comforting Recipes to Make and Share  (Chronicle, September 13, 2016) by Kathy Gunst, Resident Chef for NPR's "Here and Now." 

Soup Swap features 60 terrific recipes, including classics such as creamy Tomato Soup with Grilled-Cheese Croutons plus international favorites like Thai Red Curry-Chicken Noodle Soup. Each recipe has suggested sides to make it a meal and tips for easy transporting, which makes them just right to bring to a soup swap where everyone can sample the offerings and then take home a variety of leftovers to enjoy all week.

Not only is there so many delicious soups to pick from but the concept of the book is so cool.  Its about making soup in large quantities to then share with others. See Kathy is from Maine. I know first hand that Maine winters are cold and long. Her and some friends decided to get together and swap soup to stay warm. You got warm soup but didn't have to spend all week eating the same thing every day.  Each recipe has a note on how to prepare the soup to give away.  

This soup is not hard to put together but does take a bit of effort. You use fresh tomatoes and blanch them before adding to the soup. I actually thought it would be more work than it ended up being. I was finished before my husband came back from an errand in town with the baby.  Being baby free made the process so much easier. 

Each bowl is then topped with some grilled cheese croutons and fresh basil. The end result is a total show stopper. Of course, we only had a 2 year old to please.  After she finally believed us that the soup was not "hot" she dug right and and had two servings. 

I have so many more soups tagged for must make to help us get through the winter.  The Escarole and White Bean soup and the Roasted Fall Veggie soup looked amazing. You have to love a cookbook that has so many pictures. 

Don't forget to pick up your copy of  Soup Swap: Comforting Recipes to Make and Share  (Chronicle, September 13, 2016).  It goes on sale this Wednesday and was one of Cooking Light's must have Fall cookbooks.  

Tomato Soup

by Emily Morris

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Keywords: saute soup/stew tomato

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Ingredients (Serves 6)

• 2 medium leeks
• 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 medium onions, thinly, sliced
• 1 large shallot, chopped
• 2 lb vine ripened tomatoes
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups vegetable stock (homemade or bought)
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• croutons
• 1/2 cup fresh basil

Instructions

Trim off the dark green sections from the leeks and save for making vegetable stock another day. Halve the pale green and white sections lengthwise. Rinse under cold water, pat dry and cut crosswise into thin pieces.

In a large stockpot over low heat, warm the olive oil. Add the leeks, onions and shallots. Cook, stirring for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Cut a small X in the stem end of each tomatoes into the boiling water and blanch them for about 20 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a colander to drain. When cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin from the tomatoes, remove the core, and coarsely chop the flesh.

Add the tomatoes to the stockpot, season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to high, add the vegetable stock, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

Using a food processor working in batches or immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Return the soup to the pot and add the cream. Simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes. If the soup is too thin or watery continue simmering until slightly thicker. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt or pepper if needed.

Ladle the soup into mugs or bowls and top each with 2 to 4 croutons. Garnish with basil and serve.

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