Savory Tomato Soup

It was 1974
Kindergarten was in the afternoon, and my parents worked.  So in the mornings I would go to Mrs. Edward's house--she watched like 10 of the other kids in my class.  That's right, Mrs. Edward's house...or as I liked to call it...hell. 

It was a petri dish of runny noses, impetigo, and pink eye.  Stained turquoise kitchen with chipped linoleum on the floor, and a dog that always had crust in its ear.  Plus, the house was 90 degrees inside and smelled like melted crayons.  Ugh.  But none of it was as bad as lunch.

My friend Paige and I had made friendly with a cute boy that she liked named Bobby who, every time I ever looked over at him, was pulling his brown corduroy pants out of his butt crack (AND his name was Bobby Bousoleil which I later learned, is also the name of one of the Manson followers.  Reading Helter Skelter at 19...laughing...because the whole time I was reading it I kept picturing the butt picker from Mrs. Edward' house instead)

Anyway:  we were always getting in trouble for giggling.  Mrs. Edwards said it was distracting and she couldn't concentrate.  So one day...again in trouble for too much laughing...Mrs. Edwards said we couldn't get up from the table until we ate all our lunch which, on that particular day, was sweet tomato water.  She called it tomato soup, and I think that IS what the black and white can said, but she had to feed 10 kids so she'd add 5 times the amount of liquid...thin pink water really...and I swear I remember sugar.  THIS is what she had to concentrate so hard on?? 

Right there my quest for the perfect tomato soup began:  savory, not sweet, with depth of flavor and umami richness.  So simple to make but so good.  On its own, or paired with the grilled cheese sandwich I know you're thinking about right now, its both comforting and satisfying at the same time.  Tomato soup for lunch...smiles and giggling allowed :)

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(WHAT YOU WILL NEED)

Makes approx. 6 bowls of soup

You need a hand-held immersion blender

1 large onion, chopped

4 cups chicken broth (32 ounces)

large can (approx. 28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes, juice too

3 sprigs fresh thyme

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

3 tablespoons flour

extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons butter

salt/cracked pepper

2 heaping tablespoons sour cream

2 teaspoons grated parmesan cheese

3 ounces goat cheese

fresh dill

Drizzle olive oil in large dutch oven and heat with butter.  Add onions and saute on medium heat until they soften and get a little brown--add garlic and a little salt/pepper.  Continue mixing but don't let the garlic burn.  Sprinkle flour over the onions and garlic and mix until coated.  Add tomatoes, squeezing with your hands as you add them to the pot, including the juice.  Add chicken broth, tomatoes, thyme, and some more salt.  Stir, making sure the flour isn't sticking.

Turn heat to low and simmer slowly, covered, for approx. 45 minutes. 

In the meantime, mix together in small bowl:

sour cream, parmesan cheese, goat cheese until creamy

When soup is ready, remove thyme stalks (the leaves should have fallen into the soup), and discard.  Let the soup cool down just a little bit, then puree with an immersion blender.

Take one tablespoon of your creamy mixture and whisk into the soup.  Add salt to taste.  If you want to add more mixture, go ahead.  It will continue to get richer as you do it.  Save some for garnish.

To serve:  ladle into bowl, garnish with a tiny bit of the creamy mixture, some fresh dill, and drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle with cracked pepper.

I've discovered 2 things about this soup--

1) It tastes best when it's very warm, not hot

2)  It tastes even better the second day with this: