Creamy Tomato Soup

I hate canned tomato soup. I always have, just ask my mom. I thought I hated all tomato soup because my only experience with it was the canned stuff. Then one magical day a few years ago I tried Panera Bread's version and it was wonderful. I craved it when I was pregnant with my daughter even though it didn't love me back. Heartburn every day.

I didn't keep track, but it must have taken me at least a dozen tries to get this recipe right. I tested lots of other recipes and they came out either too thin, too onion-y, too acid-y, or too canned tomato-y. As usual, I found it was best to keep it pretty simple. Using a mix of tomato paste and whole canned tomatoes as opposed to all puree gives the soup a better "real tomato" flavor. Don't feel like you need to be virtuous and use fresh tomatoes instead, unless they are at their peak the canned will work better. The carrot, pepper and sugar balance out the acid and add some contrasting flavors. I tried celery instead of the red pepper but it never seemed to blend in quite right and I like the sweetness the pepper adds.

When you sweat the vegetables, the purpose is to make them very tender and well done, without any browning or carmelization at all. If you turn up the heat to try to rush this step, they won't blend as well into the finished soup and might add some weird flavors as well.

Feel free to use half and half or milk as the dairy if you're trying to save on calories. If you're going for a really creamy rich taste, by all means use the cream. This soup can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for several days or in the freezer for several months right up till you add the cream. After it's added make sure you reheat it on low and stir often to keep it from curdling.

I hope you enjoy this - we ate it on a chilly evening with lots of gooey grilled cheese sandwiches and those little oyster crackers my grandpa got me hooked on.

Creamy Tomato Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 28oz can whole tomatoes, drained, seeded and chopped
1 6oz can tomato paste
3 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream

Heat oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium low heat. Add the carrots, bell pepper, onion, and salt and cook, watching closely and stirring often until onion is translucent and vegetables are very soft and cooked through, about 8 minutes. 
Add chopped tomatoes and cook for a few minutes until the remaining liquid has evaporated. Stir in tomato paste, broth, black pepper and sugar. Bring to a boil then lower heat and let simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Blend the soup with an immersion blender or let cool and transfer in batches to a blender, blend well and then return it to the pot.
Add the cream and warm gently.

Makes 4 servings

Nutrition Information:
Per Serving: 276 Calories | 18.3 g fat | 7.9 g sat fat | 1,665 mg sodium | 5 g dietary fiber | 10.6 g sugar | 4.8 g protein