Name: Creamless Creamy Tomato Soup
Yield: Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients: 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling; 1 medium onion, chopped medium (about 1 cup); 3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon); Pinch hot red pepper flakes (optional); 1 bay leaf; 2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes packed in juice; 1 tablespoon brown sugar; 3 large slices good-quality sandwich bread, crusts removed, torn into 1-inch pieces; 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth; 2 tablespoons brandy (optional); Salt and ground black pepper; 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

Creamless Creamy Tomato Soup

Published on June 19, 2013

Yield

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling1 medium onion, chopped medium (about 1 cup)3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)Pinch hot red pepper flakes (optional)1 bay leaf2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes packed in juice1 tablespoon brown sugar3 large slices good-quality sandwich bread, crusts removed, torn into 1-inch pieces2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth2 tablespoons brandy (optional)Salt and ground black pepper¼ cup chopped fresh chives

Before You Begin

If half of the soup fills your blender by more than two-thirds, process the soup in three batches. You can also use an immersion blender to process the soup directly in the pot. For an even smoother soup, pass the pureed mixture through a fine-mesh strainer before stirring in the broth in step 2. To make this dish vegetarian, use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth.

Instructions

Heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add 1 finely chopped onion, 3 minced garlic cloves, pinch red pepper flakes (if using), and 1 bay leaf. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent, 3 to 5 minutes.

Stir in 1 can whole tomatoes and their juice. Using potato masher, mash until no pieces bigger than 2 inches remain. Stir in 1 tablespoon brown sugar and 3 slices sandwich bread, crusts removed and torn into 1-inch pieces; bring soup to boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until bread is completely saturated and starts to break down, about 5 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf.

Transfer half of soup to blender. Add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and process until soup is smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to large bowl and repeat with remaining soup and 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Rinse out Dutch oven and return soup to pot. Stir in 2 cups chicken broth and 2 tablespoons brandy, if using. Return soup to boil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve soup in individual bowls. Sprinkle each portion with pepper and ¼ cup chopped chives and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.