Tomato Soup

Ok, even if you do not have your own tomato plants, they are currently in abundance! From the Garden, from the farmer's markets, etc. So the next few recipes are tomato focused. Here is a tomato soup recipe that can rival the one at Panera Bread Company. For those who cannot eat wheat or gluten, substitute a non-wheat flour of your choice, or cornstarch for the flour in this recipe.

Fresh Tomato Soup
Adapted from Everyday Foods online

1/2 stick butter
2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
1/4 C whole wheat flour
3 T tomato paste
2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1/2 t dried thyme)
2 cans (14 1/2 oz) chicken or vegetable broth
3.5 lbs whole peeled tomatoes (or 2 28 ounce cans of whole peeled tomatoes)
1 T chopped fresh basil

Note: to peel fresh tomatoes here is an easy trick. Boil a large pot of water, cut an X mark on the bottom of each tomato, and put in the boiling water for 1 minute. Then transfer tomatoes to a large bowl of ice water, and easily remove skins. Remove cores with a knife.

1. In a 5 Qt saucepan or dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat; add oil and onion, and season with salt & pepper. Cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour & tomato paste; cook 1 minute.

2. To saucepan, add thyme, broth and tomatoes, breaking up tomatoes with your (clean) fingers. Bring to a boil; reduce heat & simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the thyme sprigs.

3. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the pot, leaving a fair amount of tomatoes in chunks. Or, working in several batches, puree 1/2 (5 cups) of the soup in a conventional blender until smooth; return to pot, season with salt & pepper and add Basil. Serve immediately with some cheese & crusty bread, toast or crackers, if desired. Freezes well if you wish to save for a later time.

Tip: I used to get frustrated at the number of recipes that called for only a few tablespoons of tomato paste, until I learned you can freeze it. After opening the can & using what you need, measure out the remainder in 1 tablespoon sizes and freeze on freezer paper or in an ice cube tray lined with plastic wrap. When frozen put into a container or ziploc bag & label the contents for later use