I find that my heirloom slicing tomatoes are way too juicy for sauce. I grow paste tomatoes for that. I had a big bunch, and I didn’t want them to just rot. So… tomato soup.
Ingredients:
8 lbs. fresh tomatoes , cut into small cubes
Evoo
Butter
1 onion, chopped fine
1 stick celery, chopped fine
1 stick carrot, chopped fine
3 small cloves garlic
Fresh Basil to taste
1 potato, cut into small cubes
Pepper to taste
Salt, to taste
2 cups chicken broth
- Take half of the tomatoes, dress them with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, put them on a sheet pan, and roast them at 400 for 30 minutes. After 15, throw in the garlic.
- Meanwhile, put onion, carrot and celery in a large pot with olive oil and about a 2inch piece of butter, sauté for about 20 minutes, occasionally stirring, until soft. Add the tomatoes ( both fresh and roasted), potato , and 2 cups of chicken broth, salt and pepper.
- Increase to med high, Bring to a rapid simmer, then lower temperature to a slow, lazy simmer, uncovered. About 45 min- 1 hour.
- Add chopped basil to taste, Puree, salt and pepper, and enjoy.
NOTE: the carrot adds sweetness instead of using sugar, the potato adds starch and thickness, rather than adding flour; the celery replaces celery salt.
Variations: you can add tomato paste to the onion mixture and let it carmelize. Add pepper flakes or Calabrian pepper if you like heat. You can use some canned diced fire roasted tomatoes. If you use canned tomatoes, use 4- 28 ounce cans of quality tomatoes. Don’t use supermarket tomatoes out of season. It will suck.
La cucina di famiglia 