If the tomatoes are firm you may boil them for 30 seconds and peel the skin off. Otherwise if the tomatoes are over ripe (desirable) the skin will be incorporated and or removed at the sieve stage.

Heat the butter and oil and add the onion and just saute.1 minute.
Add the tomatoes, garlic, vegetable stock, tomato paste and chopped basil.
Gently simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally for 40 minutes.
Season with pepper to taste.
Blend or mash mixture till smooth and run through a sieve.

Return to the saucepan and heat the cream through. Do not boil. Adjust the consistency with a little more vegetable stock or cream. Serve warm and garnish with a stream of cream.

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I have used UHT cream when in China (no such thing as fresh cream). It adds a dimension to the soup that is hard to describe. But it sure is tasty.
1 kg ripe tomatoes. Almost rotten!
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
2 Tbs salted butter
1 Tbs vegetable oil
750ml Vegetable stock. Home made.
2 Tbs Tomato paste
150ml cream (can be UHT)
Fresh Basil
Pepper
Heinz Big Red tomato soup is a great product. Except that it is overloaded with salt and natural msg. Homemade Tomato soup is just so much better, that it is worth taking the time to make it. It really is. I say do not add salt. The salt from the butter and tomato paste is enough to set off the natural msg found in the over ripe tomato's. I tried a dozen variations and this is my favourite. How it might have been made in the 1970's.

Don't use the packet stocks available in supermarkets. You will just ruin the soup with far too much salt.

For the stock in this recipe I simmer 2 litres of water for an hour ahead of time with a corn cob, a carrot, a turnip, a potato, an onion and some garlic.
tomato soup

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