Tuscan Style Tomato Soup

My little veggie garden performed pretty well this year and our tomato plants are busting at the vines with heavy fruit. Last week hubby and I picked all the ripe ‘maters and hauled them into the kitchen for cooking and freezing and eating. I found an easy recipe for Tuscan Style Tomato Soup and decided to whip up a batch.

This tomato soup is a little different from others.

It’s light and clean with a true tomato flavor.

The original recipe appears in this Easy Italian Cookbook.

I altered it a bit to suit my palate (recipe at end of post).

I used heirloom tomatoes from our garden, cooking them down a bit before pureeing.

The original recipe doesn’t call for cream, but I added some to my batch for a smoother texture.

If you decide to try this lightly refreshing Tuscan Style Tomato Soup, let me know how you like it!

Tuscan Style Tomato Soup

3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 sweet onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/4 pound ripe tomatoes, peeled, deseeded, and chopped
4 T fresh white breadcrumbs
1 small handful fresh basil leaves, torn
2 cups vegetable stock
3/4 cup light cream (optional)
2 T butter (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a medium-size saucepan. Add onion and cook over very low heat 2 to 3 minutes, until soft. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in tomatoes and cook gently about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Add fresh breadcrumbs, basil, and stock and transfer to blender or food processor. Process until smooth. Return to saucepan, stir in light cream and butter, and heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. You can freeze the soup for up to 3 months.