Creamy Tomato Soup

If you have spent anytime in Boise, you know the tomato soup from Richard’s or Richard’s Across the Street formerly in Hyde Park, and now Richard’s again, but in the downtown location. This is the closest I have gotten to replicating this soup. I tweaked the recipe from the original on the King Arthur website. The only connection between KA and soup, is the addition of All-Purpose flour as a thickener. For the gluten-averse, I would substitute a tablespoon of gluten-free cornstarch for the flour. I deviated from the recipe in a few ways. I added more onions, finely diced, more generous amounts of fresh (not dried) herbs, and substituted fire-roasted tomatoes and puréed them. The final product, using the original recipe, looses its tomatoey punch due to the addition of evaporated milk. One option would be to scale back on the volume of the milk. Instead, I added double-concentrated tomato paste at the end, so the tomatoes, not the creamy flavor, were the highlight. I would make the recipe in advance and let it sit overnight in the fridge to meld the flavors. Serve with chiffonade of basil, another addition.

Creamy Tomato Soup

5 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 1/2 cup onions, finely diced

28-ounce fire-roasted tomatoes, puréed in the blender with fresh spices

1 heaping Tbsp fresh basil

1 heaping Tbsp fresh thyme

a couple grinds fresh black pepper

3 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour

2 cups chicken stock

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 Tbsp granulated sugar

1 can (354g) evaporated milk

1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste

1/2 tube double concentrated tomato paste, or more to taste

fresh basil, chiffonade

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a large saucepan, heat the butter and vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until softened and translucent, about 10 minutes.

Pureed the tomatoes, fresh basil and thyme in a blender, then add the black pepper. Add to the pan. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the flour and broth, whisking until smooth, and add this mixture to the soup, stirring constantly.

Cover and simmer on low for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the baking soda, the sugar, milk, and salt. Heat to a bare simmer, stirring constantly. Serve hot or cool and refrigerate. Reheat on the stove top on low, or in the microwave for a few minutes (covered if you don’t want a mess).