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The tingle you get in the back of your throat when you eat this soup makes it all worthwhile. This one will fill your kitchen with wonderful smells both while you are cooking it and when you serve it. - Chez
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 tablespoons butter
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 celery rib, chopped
- 2 teaspoons dried basil, crumbled between your fingers
- Pinch of ground cloves
- 2 tablespoons flour
- Two 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes, with packing juice
- Pinch of baking soda
- 2 1/2 cups vegetable stock or water
- 1/2 cups milk
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 can tomato paste
- Sour cream
Preperation
- Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium heat.
- Add the onion, celery, basil, and cloves; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is limp, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the flour, then add the tomatoes, baking soda, and stock.
- Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes.
- Add tomato paste and stir in well. Let cool briefly, then puree in a blender or stick blender until smooth. (If you decide to make this a day ahead, this is your stopping point. Refrigerate until ready to use.)
- When you are ready, return the soup to the pot, add the milk, and season with salt.
- Garnish with a dollop of sour cream… or go all out and make the garnish boat from a basil leaf and add either scallion or chives as the sail (see photo).
