Tuscan Tomato-Basil Soup

source modified & inspired from The Williams-Sonoma Collection: Soup

Makes 4-6 Servings

4-6 slices of French bread/baguette, cut about 1-inch thick

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 large yellow onion, diced small
4 large cloves garlic, minced

3 pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded & diced (about 6 large beefsteak tomatoes)
4 cups chicken or prepared broth
1/2 cup basil leaves, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Salt and Ground Pepper to taste

Parmesan or Cheese mix (Asiago, Pecorino, Parmesan, etc.), grated – for garnish
4-6 whole basil leaves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large pot, or 3-4 quart soup pot, set heat to medium. Warm the olive oil and then sauté the onions, stirring often until transparent and soft, about 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until softened, about another 30 seconds to a minute.

Add the prepared tomatoes (see preparation directions towards end) and stock. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook until the tomatoes have softened, about 30-40 minutes. Remove from heat. Meanwhile, Place bread/baguette slices on a baking sheet and bake in preheated oven until light brown on both sides, about 10-12 minutes per side. You want the bread to be crispy on the outside, but still give from the middle. Set aside.

Add the basil and using a blender, food processor or handheld blender, purée soup in batches until desired consistency. Return the batches of puréed soup to the soup pot and reheat on low. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve: Ladle soup in bowls, sprinkle with grated cheese mix and serve with crusty bread on the side for dipping. Serve soup immediately.

Peeling and Seeding Tomatoes

Fill a deep pot with water and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down. Core the tops of each tomato and score the bottoms in an “X” pattern. Working in even batches, submerge the tomatoes in the pot of hot water for about 30 seconds. Remove promptly with a slotted spoon and peel the skins. Cut the tomatoes crosswise and squeeze the seeds out -OR- use the jagged end of a melon-baller to scoop the seeds out. For this soup, dice the tomatoes.