Creamy Tomato Soup

This healthy tomato soup recipe and the makings of a grilled cheese sandwich can warm your belly and your soul in a hurry on cold and dreary days. You get a dose of vitamin C, lycopene, and potassium from the tomatoes, protein and calcium from the cheese, and some quality fiber-rich carbs from bread, if you choose wisely. Leftovers freeze great. And the possibilities for embellishing are endless. Add white beans, sausages, and cooked spinach and you have a hearty meal in one. 6-8 servings. — Susan Puckett

Ingredients

·         2 tablespoons olive oil

·         1 tablespoon butter

·         1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped

·         1 medium carrot, coarsely chopped

·         Salt and black pepper

·         1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 or 4 cloves)

·         1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger (or ½ teaspoon dried)

·         Pinch of red pepper flakes

·         2 (28-ounce) cans San Marzano tomatoes

·         2 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)

·         ½ cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves (plus extra leaves for garnish)

·         2 or 3 sprigs of thyme or ½ teaspoon dried thyme

·         2 teaspoons sugar, or to taste (optional)

·         1/2 cup heavy cream, or to taste (plus extra for garnish)

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until the butter is melted.

2. Add the onion and carrot, along with ½ teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of pepper; cook and stir until the onion is translucent and very soft, but not browned, reducing the heat slightly, if necessary, about 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Add the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes and cook and stir until softened but not browned, a minute or two longer.

4. Add the tomatoes with their juices, breaking them up with a wooden spoon, then add the broth, and the basil and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are fall-apart tender and the soup has reduced by about 25 percent, 30 to 40 minutes.

5. Puree the soup with an immersion blender. Or allow it to cool slightly and puree in batches in a blender or food processor, then return it to the pan. Add the cream; cook and stir over low heat until heated through.

Susan Puckett is an Atlanta-based food writer and cookbook author.