Tomato Soup

Beats the stuffin' out of Campbell's!

I make this all the time now.  Stolen from Chef John and modified, his use of rice to thicken it is nothing short of awesome.

You'll need;

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion (half a big onion)
• 1/2 cup each chopped celery and carrots
• 3 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 1 qt chicken broth
• 1 28oz can of San Marzano tomatoes (use lesser tomatoes at your peril)
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 
• 1 tsp salt 
• 1 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp sugar
• 3 Tbsp long grain rice (I use Jasmine)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 Tbsp butter
• chopped basil for garnish
• (opt) splash of sherry

In a stock pot over medium heat sweat the onions with a pinch of salt.

Add the carrot and celery and sweat some more.

Add the garlic for a minute (don't brown the garlic)

Add the chicken broth and tomatoes and bring to a simmer for 5-10 minutes.  If you forgot to crush the tomatoes, do so now in the pot with the back of a spoon, but go slow or wear a red shirt.

Season with salt, pepper, sugar, paprika and cayenne. Add the 3 Tbsp rice and bring to a low simmer.

Simmer for 45 minutes and skim if too much foam appears. (I don't skim, I stir it back in)

Taste for seasoning.  I usually need to add a bit of salt and pepper.

Using an immersion blender puree the soup.  Be careful to keep the blades down to avoid redecorating your kitchen.  If you don't have an immersion blender (stick blender) and don't want to get one, you can use a blender to puree the soup.  However, you must let it cool a bit, you must do it in small batches, and you must be very careful.  I don't recommend it. 

After the soup is smooth as a baby's posterior add the cream and 2 Tbsp butter. Also add the optional splash of Sherry for a hint of British flavor. Heat through and taste for any final seasoning. Garnish with chopped basil and a swirl of cream if you are serving guests.

This soup freezes well and reheats from frozen in a microwave well making it the ultimate lunch soup.  Once you have this you will not want to go back to the can.