If you think seriously about flavor, there are certain food pairs that work together in perfect harmony.
For example, tomatoes and basil.
There are many Mediterranean recipes that combine tomatoes with basil – and, almost always there’s some extra virgin olive oil included, too. Here’s an easy-to-make soup that works all year round, hot or cold. Out of fresh tomato season (fall, winter, spring,) use canned tomatoes for the best results and dried basil. In fresh tomato season (summer) get the best flavor by using both canned tomatoes and fresh ones, along with a big handful of fresh basil that’s torn into half-leaves.
Tomato and Basil Soup
Makes 4-6 servings. Try it hot in the winter and cold in the summer.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 1 medium Onion, chopped
- 2-3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1/2 – 1 teaspoon Salt, to taste
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon Black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon Red pepper flakes, to taste
- 1 can, 28 ounces, Tomatoes in juice, whole or diced (out of tomato season;)
- Or 1/2 can, 14 ounces, Tomatoes in juice, whole or diced (in tomato season) and 4 medium fresh tomatoes, skin removed and cut into chunks
- 1 cup Chicken broth/stock, or vegetable to make a vegetarian soup
- 1 tablespoon Dried basil leaves; or a handful of fresh basil torn into half-leaves
- 1 teaspoon Dried thyme leaves
Preparation:
- Get out a medium-sized soup pot with a lid. Turn on heat to medium and allow pan to warm up for 2-3 minutes.
- Add EVOO, swirl it to cover bottom of the pot, and add onion, garlic, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper.
- Cook while stirring with a wooden spoon, about 8-10 minutes, until onions wilt and turn a golden color.
- Place canned tomatoes into a blender and blend 1-2 minutes until mostly smooth. If there are a few small chunks, that’s alright. Empty tomatoes into soup pot along with broth/stock, dried basil and dried thyme.
- Turn up heat to medium high until tomato mixture boils gently, then lower heat to medium low and simmer with lid on for 20-30 minutes.
- Turn off heat, remove pot from hot burner. Serve soup immediately, hot, or cool it for 30-40 minutes, stirring once in a while. When it’s a lukewarm temperature, transfer to a glass food storage container, cover, and chill in the fridge for 2-4 hours then eat cold.
Get Going with Great Flavors in Your Kitchen
There are no flavors that taste better than the ones you make yourself. Take the leap by planning an hour or two in your kitchen to make a homemade recipe like this Tomato-Basil Soup. Get organized by laying out the cooking tools you will need and then get out your ingredients and prep them by rinsing in cool tap water, if needed, peeling, chopping, and measuring. You will succeed, most likely, as long as you Read Through Your Recipe to Avoid Common Mistakes. In the end, you’ll proudly taste your finished recipe and a big smile will roll across your lips. My Mediterranean Menus download is a next step to your second kitchen cooking adventure.
Have you considered growing your own summer tomatoes and basil and where will your garden be?