Spring Dogs Love Tomato Soup. They Hate Citrus. Recipe: Tomato Soup

Almost everyone claims that grilled cheese goes best with tomato soup.  As a kid though, I NEVER wanted tomato soup with grilled cheese.  I don’t know if my parents didn’t like tomato soup or what, but we never had it with grilled cheese so I just assumed for years that I didn’t like it.  In fact, until a year or two ago I don’t believe I actually had a bowl of tomato soup in my life.  Now, I am not one of those people who craves tomato soup, but this colder weather has me in the mood for something warm and comforting.  A couple weeks ago Alyssa and I went to Spiro’s in Iron Mountain and I ordered a Dr. Pepper braised short rib grilled cheese sandwich.  It was fantastic and I am pretty sure I asked Alyssa why more restaurants don’t put grilled cheese on the menu.  It is one of the ultimate comfort foods and so simple to make.  The next two days we made grilled cheese and I put some of my beer braised chuck roast in mine.  That weekend rekindled my love of grilled cheese and this week I was in the mood for them again.  As I was cruising Serious Eats I came across a recipe for Nordstrom’s Tomato Basil Soup. Bells went off in my head: warm, comforting, and supposedly the perfect companion to grilled cheese.  Remember, I am not one to crave tomato soup, but according to the recipe, this soup has a cult-like following.  It looked easy enough with just a few ingredients and it was something I could whip up fairly quickly.  So here it goes.

Gather the gang for a pool party.

Chop up some aromatic vegetables.

Let them get nice and cozy with some aromatic herbs.

Add EVERYBODY to the pool.

Simmer, cool, blend, add cream, simmer, serve, enjoy.

This soup is fantastic.  Ellie gave it 4 paws up, in fact she has been trying her hardest all night to get the leftovers as they cool on the counter.  Though, she does not like grapefruit peels (I had to test the theory that dogs don’t like citrus).  I won’t join the cult of Nordstrom Tomato Basil Soupeans after eating it tonight, but it is a great side dish to a grilled cheese on delicious natural starter home baked bread (which I will post about in the future).

Recipe: Tomato Soup (adapted from Serious Eats)

• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 large carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 tablespoon dried basil, crushed
• 3 28-ounce cans whole peeled Roma tomatoes
• 1 quart chicken broth
• 1 pint heavy cream (we used half and half, and probably only 10-12 oz.)
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add carrots and onion and cook until beginning to soften, 10 minutes, then add basil and cook until vegetables are completely soft, about 5 minutes more.

2. Add tomatoes and broth, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20-30 minutes, or up to 45 minutes if time permits.

3. After allowing soup to cool somewhat, purée in a blender or food processor until smooth, doing so in batches if necessary. For a much silkier texture, strain the purée before returning to the pot (we didn’t strain it, the texture just added to the comfort factor).

4. Stir in cream little by little over over low heat, until desired texture is reached and soup is just heated through (we used about 10-12 oz). Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve warm.