Soup Of The Soul

Spring Tomato Soup

Tomato Soup

Few dishes give more all-around pleasure than a good homemade soup. It is hardly surprising that soups feature in every cuisine all around the world. Good soup is easy to make, especially if you use fresh ingredients when they are in season.

"Do you have a kinder, more adaptable friend in the food world than soup? Who soothes you when you are ill? Who refuses to leave you when you are impoverished and stretches its resources to give hearty sustenance and cheer? Who warms you in the winter and cools you in the summer? Yet who also is capable of doing honor to your richest table and impressing your most demanding guests? Soup does its loyal best, no matter what undignified conditions are imposed upon it. You don't catch steak hanging around when you're poor and sick, do you?" — Judith Martin

A good vegetable broth is necessary as the basis for many soups, though by no means all soups. The right garnish enhances even the simplest soup; giving careful thought to the presentation of your soup adds a professional finish.

Creamy Tomato Soup

Fresh Tomatoes

Tomato soup is an old favorite. This week I am presenting you a different version of tomato soup made special by the addition of fresh herbs and cream.

Ingredients

Serves4

2 tablespoons butter

1 onion, chopped

2-pound tomatoes, peeled and quartered

2 carrots, chopped

2 cups vegetable stock

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, plus extra to garnish

5 tablespoons whipped cream (optional)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Recipe

Melts The Heart

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft.

2. Stir in the tomatoes, carrots, vegetable stock, parsley, and thyme. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat to low, cover the pan, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

3. Puree the soup until smooth. Return the pureed soup to the saucepan.

4. Stir in the cream, if using, and reheat slowly.

5. Season the soup to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Ladle into warm soup bowls and serve piping hot, garnished with fresh thyme leaves.