Ligurian Tomato Soup
In the summertime when tomatoes are in season I make quarts of fresh tomato sauce and freeze them for one year. One summer, I bought an excess of tomatoes so I decided to try a tomato soup. Out of inspiration from beautiful summer tomatoes and my Ligurian ancestry here is one of my favorite summer dishes. Enjoy it with toasted bread and a glass of Pellegrini Carignan.
- Janet Pellegrini
5 pounds sun-ripened Roma or Beef tomatoes, peeled and seeded
6-8 slices French bread
Butter spray
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1 large red onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste, to thicken (optional)
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup finely chopped basil leaves
6-8 whole basil leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper (optional)
1 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese
For this recipe, fully sun-ripened tomatoes that are slightly soft to the touch are a must. To peel and seed them, bring a saucepan ¾ full of water to a boil. Score an X on the bottom of the tomato and, in batches, immerse the tomatoes for 30 seconds or until skins just begin to wrinkle. Remove the tomatoes, let cool slightly, then peel away the skins. Cut in half crosswise and squeeze to dislodge the seeds and excess water.
Slice bread one inch thick. Place on baking dish and bake one side in oven at 325°F for 5 minutes until lightly browned. Turn over, spray with butter spray and top with freshly shredded parmesan cheese. Bake another 5 minutes. Set aside.
In a large soup pot, warm oil over medium heat. Sauté onions, stirring frequently until softened, 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and cook until softened, about 1 minute.
Add the tomatoes, stock, and tomato paste (optional), raise heat to high and bring to a boil and cook until the tomatoes are softened, about 30-45 minutes. Remove from the heat.
In a food processor, purée the soup in batches, leaving some texture if desired, and return soup to the pot on medium heat. Add the chopped basil and season to taste with salt and pepper. To give it a kick, as an option add crushed red pepper.
To serve, place a slice of the prepared bread in the bottom of each warmed bowl. Ladle the soup on top, sprinkle with more parmesan cheese and garnish with a basil leaf. Serve immediately.
Serves 6-8
Back to the Recipes
