Summer Tomato Basil Soup

I can't pretend that I made this recipe up - it was given to me by a cousin who is a SERIOUSLY good cook. I think part of my interest in cooking came from this branch of the family; they are all just DYNAMITE in the kitchen! When I got married Kathy shared this recipe with me and it has been a huge hit in my house ever since.

This recipe makes a lot of soup (8-10 servings) but it's really quite simple. Here's what you'll need:

 5 carrots 

1 large onion, chopped

1 T dried basil (more or less to taste)

3 (28oz) cans diced tomatoes

1 can (14.5oz) chicken broth

2 cups heavy cream (FF 1/2 & 1/2 works great!)

Salt and pepper to taste

Ok ready to make some magic? Sharpen that knife (or whip out that mandolin) because you want these carrots to be in coins that are as close to the same size as you can get them. You know, even cooking and whatnot. 

Once you have your carrots all sliced, put a 6-8 quart pot (just a big honkin' pot) with a drizzle of oil in the bottom over medium heat. When your oil is shimmering add your carrots, onions, and basil and saute while stirring occasionally. You want your onions to be soft and getting translucent, the carrots probably won't be cooked yet. That's ok! 

Add everything in the tomato cans (juice included) and the broth to the pot. Bring to a boil and then drop to a simmer and let it go uncovered for about 20 minutes. This would be the time to add salt and pepper to your liking. 

Once your time is up pull the pot from the heat. Here you have two options: you can blend the soup in batches in the blender, or use a stick blender. Either way, blend the CRAP out of the soup! 

I have actually started to strain my soup before eating/storing it. If you leave it un-strained, it has a very rustic, filling feel to it (thanks in large part to the carrots). If you strain it it becomes a much finer texture, very smooth and velvety. There is no wrong answer here - do what you like!

Once blended return the soup to the pot and stir in the cream, or half and half. I have even tried this recipe with greek yogurt (I didn't have any other dairy to add) and it worked surprisingly well! 

I like to pair this with grilled cheese and a green salad. It is good with a sprinkle of cheese and crusty bread for dipping is a MUST!

Serious noms right here guys. Go make it!