Or, “Tomato Soup, Hold the Fingertip”
After cutting my thumb in my first attempt to make tomato soup out of my garden’s bounty, I decided to get right back on the horse.
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 1 large or 2 small leeks
- about 3-4 quarts fresh tomatoes, (or I’d estimate 2 28 oz. cans whole tomatoes)
- 1 quart chicken stock
- 1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for 1 minute, then transfer to ice water. Peel and crush the tomatoes with your hands, removing seeds to a fine mesh sieve placed over a bowl to catch the juices. Cut the leeks in half lengthwise, then slice them VERY CAREFULLY (this is how I cut the tip off my thumb last time!) Roughly chop the basil.
Melt the butter in a large cast iron pot and saute the leeks until softened. Add the tomatoes, stock and basil. Simmer for 30-45 minutes until tomatoes are fully cooked and falling apart. Puree in batches and serve immediately, or transfer to containers to freeze.
Serve hot and garnish with any (or all) of the following: sour cream, shredded cheese, fresh herbs, crackers, or a grilled cheese sandwich. For a variation, stir in leftover rice and heat through for tomato rice soup.
*Sorry, I forgot to take a picture before I put it in the freezer!
Sounds delicious, Abbie, though I’d replace the chicken broth with veggie broth. I love basil with tomatoes. Mmmm, now I’m getting hungry!
We have so many green tomatoes, but they just wont seem to ripen!
Yum! What a process, including a trip to the doctor for your cut thumb, and all!
Please be careful!
Hey is that a cocktail weenie in my soup? No it’s Abbie’s thumb!”
(heh heh)
I must add that I will never look at little weenies in my tomato soup again without thinking of Abbie’s Thumb
Okay, so I don’t get the part about pureeing it. How do you do that exactly? I’ve been wanting to make and preserve soup this year so I’m glad you shared this.
Twitter: farmdaughter
I just puree it in my food processor, but you could use a blender. I’ve been longing for an immersion blender since I made this recipe!
Ahhhh…that tomato soup sounds heavenly!!!! Putting it on the ‘must make NOW’ list! LOL