Serves 4
For this recipe, you will need:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup diced onion, in 1/4-inch dice
1 cup chopped leek, white and light green parts
2/3 cup diced, peeled carrot, in 1/4-inch dice
1/3 cup diced celery, in 1/4-inch dice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish, if desired
1 bouquet garni (see Note at end)
3 cups coarsely chopped fresh tomatoes
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup half-and-half
To taste kosher salt
To taste ground black pepper
Directions:
1. Heat the butter and oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium high heat.
2. Add the onion and leek and sauté 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add the carrot, celery, basil, and bouquet garni and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes and cook 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Add the tomato paste and cook 3 to 4 minutes.
6. Add the flour, stir well to combine, and cook 2 minutes.
7. Add the chicken stock, bring to a simmer, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.
8. Remove the bouquet garni.
9. Puree the soup in a blender: Fill the blender jar no more than 2/3 full. (You may have to blend the soup in batches.) With a kitchen towel, hold the lid in place as you start blending at the lowest speed. With your hand on the lid, gradually increase the speed. When the mixture is completely blended, keep your hand on the lid and gradually decrease the speed. Alternatively, you can puree the soup with a hand blender. Pour the blended soup through a medium-mesh strainer and into a clean 4-quart saucepan.
10. Over low heat, bring the soup to a simmer. Stir in the half-and-half and simmer 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
11. Taste and correct the seasoning with salt and pepper.
12. Serve the soup hot, garnished with additional chopped fresh basil leaves, if desired.
Note: A bouquet garni is a bundle of fresh herbs wrapped with a piece of leek and tied with kitchen string. It is used to flavor liquids during cooking, and then it is discarded. To make a bouquet garni, wash and dry a 4-inch piece of green leek. On top of the leek, stack a 4-inch piece of washed celery, a bay leaf, a sprig of thyme, and a parsley stem. Roll the stack into a bundle and tie tightly with a piece of cotton kitchen string with the bundle at one end of the string. To use, immerse the bundle into the liquid and tie the other end of the string onto the pot handle. This makes it easy to locate and remove the bouquet garni when directed.
For this recipe, you will need:
Directions:
1. Heat the butter and oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium high heat.
2. Add the onion and leek and sauté 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add the carrot, celery, basil, and bouquet garni and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes and cook 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Add the tomato paste and cook 3 to 4 minutes.
6. Add the flour, stir well to combine, and cook 2 minutes.
7. Add the chicken stock, bring to a simmer, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.
8. Remove the bouquet garni.
9. Puree the soup in a blender: Fill the blender jar no more than 2/3 full. (You may have to blend the soup in batches.) With a kitchen towel, hold the lid in place as you start blending at the lowest speed. With your hand on the lid, gradually increase the speed. When the mixture is completely blended, keep your hand on the lid and gradually decrease the speed. Alternatively, you can puree the soup with a hand blender. Pour the blended soup through a medium-mesh strainer and into a clean 4-quart saucepan.
10. Over low heat, bring the soup to a simmer. Stir in the half-and-half and simmer 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
11. Taste and correct the seasoning with salt and pepper.
12. Serve the soup hot, garnished with additional chopped fresh basil leaves, if desired.
Note: A bouquet garni is a bundle of fresh herbs wrapped with a piece of leek and tied with kitchen string. It is used to flavor liquids during cooking, and then it is discarded. To make a bouquet garni, wash and dry a 4-inch piece of green leek. On top of the leek, stack a 4-inch piece of washed celery, a bay leaf, a sprig of thyme, and a parsley stem. Roll the stack into a bundle and tie tightly with a piece of cotton kitchen string with the bundle at one end of the string. To use, immerse the bundle into the liquid and tie the other end of the string onto the pot handle. This makes it easy to locate and remove the bouquet garni when directed.
