Creamy Heirloom Tomato Soup (Creamless)

Directions

If your tomatoes are not garden fresh it is better to use canned tomatoes. Buy canned whole tomatoes if possible, check the label and watch out of large amounts of added salt.

To peel tomatoes:

Bring a pot of water to the boil.

Cut an x on the bottom of tomatoes, blanch for 20 seconds, peel and chop over a bowl to catch any juices.

Alternatively you can strain through a fine sieve later to remove the peel. This will also remove seeds and make the soup super duper creamy!

If using cherry tomatoes just cut in half and strain to remove peels later.

To make the soup:

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.

Add the onions, garlic, red pepper flakes (to taste), and two bay leaves.

Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and translucent, about 4 to 6 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and any accumulate juices, sugar, bread and the stock.

Bring the soup to the boil.

Reduce the heat to medium or medium-low to cook, stirring frequently, cooking for about 10 minutes.

Remove the bay leaf.

Use a hand-held immersion blender or process in batches (no more than ½ full) in a blender. Use a towel to hold the top, be careful it’s hot!

Either way, blend until smooth.

Strain the soup through a fine sieve to remove any skins and/or seeds and make for a velvety smooth soup.

Return the soup to the pot, add a few tablespoons of sherry or red wine if desired and heat through.

Taste, season with salt and black pepper as needed. If you used canned tomatoes with salt and canned or powdered stock you will likely not need to add any salt. Taste first then adjust the seasoning.

Ladle into soup bowls, drizzle some extra-virgin olive olive and sprinkle some parsley leaves on top.

Serve warm with crackers, croutons or grilled cheese sandwiches.