Just, YUMMY! This has
become an old stand-by and well-loved favorite. I created this recipe years ago
combining a standard recipe I found for tomato soup and ideas I had to recreate a
Tomato Pesto Soup I love at a local soup and sandwich shop.
Creamy Tomato Pesto Soup
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 T unsalted butter
1 large white onion, finely chopped
1 large clove garlic, smashed and peeled
2 T all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken broth
28 oz. can whole peeled plum tomatoes, including the juice
1 ½ tsp sugar
1 spring fresh thyme
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
3 T freshly sliced basic, chives, or dill, or a mixture of
all three
½ cup pesto
1 cup light cream
1 cup parmesan cheese
In a 5-6 quart Dutch oven heat the oil and butter over
medium-low heat until the butter melts.
Add the onion and garlic, cook stirring occasionally until soft but not
browned, about 8 minutes. Add the flour
and stir to coat the onion and garlic.
Add the broth, tomatoes, sugar, thyme and ¼ tsp salt and
pepper. Bring to a simmer over
medium-high heat while stirring the mixture to make sure the flour does not
stick to the bottom of the pan. Reduce
the heat to low and simmer for 40 minutes.
Discard the thyme spring.
Let cool briefly. Add the herbs
and pesto and then puree in two or three batches in a blender or food processor
or all at once with immersion blender.
Return the soup to the pot.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add cream and parmesan cheese.
Stir and serve.
NOTE: I have made this with local onions, garlic,
tomatoes(crushed), herbs, and pesto.
