Homemade tomato soup by Chef Pharrell
This homemade tomato soup is fresh and tastes like summer. The ingredients are the key in making this easy tomato soup recipe. It takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish to make this tomato soup recipe. All you need is a great blender, a non reactive stainless steel pot and some good quality ingredients. You won’t ever want to open a can of tomato soup again after you taste this.
This picture was taken yesterday at the La Jolla shores dinner party we did for a group of Texas gentlemen. Among the group is a rather famous chef from Texas, he gave this soup the nod. Every bowl was scraped dry with the crouton we made for the soup. Hope you enjoy this Artful Chefs recipe by Chef Pharrell.
Homemade Tomato Soup
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, peeled and diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup Italian parsley leaves, chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
3 pieces of white bread, good quality, remove crust cut into 1″ pieces
1 tablespoon raw sugar
1 tablespoon agave nectar
3- 28 ounce cans tomatoes, whole with juice (I like Pom, or Muir Glen organic for the freshest flavor)
1 ounce brandy or cognac
1 quart organic chicken stock
2 teaspoons kosher salt (to taste)
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper (to taste)
garnish with olive oil and fresh basil if desired
Directions:
In a non reactive 5 quart stainless pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook stirring often until translucent, add the garlic and stir constantly until fragrant. Remove from pan so the garlic does not turn bitter. Add the bread and toast in the pan until brown around the edges. Add the fresh herbs and onion back into the pan. Immediately add the tomatoes and their juices. Let the mix come to a low boil, then turn down to a simmer for 10 minutes.
Using a ladel, place 1/3 of the soup into a powerful blender. Mix it on high speed until totally smooth. Hold the lid on with a dish towel so the top doesn’t pop off from the steam. Do not put more than 1/3 off the soup in at a time. Hot soup burns and makes a huge mess when it explodes out of a blender (speaking from experience). Pour into a large heat proof bowl or another pot. Repeat until all of the soup is smooth.
Return the smooth and silky soup to the stove. Over medium heat, add the stock all at once. Add a little fresh basil if you wish. Heat now to a strong simmer. Serve.
Hope you enjoy it!
