Tom Douglas’ Creamy Tomato Soup

Do you have a comfort food?  For me its always soup.  Gumbo when I’m sick, chili when I’m cold.  Tomato Soup cheers me up.  It seems like a bright, happy food to me.  Pair it with a smoky grilled cheese sandwich with basil, and I’m a new woman.

So, when I heard an interview with Tom Douglas on NPR the other day and he shared this recipe, I put it on the list.

And it did not disappoint.  Tangy and creamy, a delightful crunch with the croutons… and it took 30 minutes from the moment I got the recipe out to the time I took my first bite.  Now THAT is a great recipe!

Creamy Tomato Soup with Buttery Croutons

adapted from Tom Douglas

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, very thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, smashed
5 cups canned whole tomatoes in their juice (from three 14-ounce cans)
1 cup water
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Four 3/4-inch-thick slices of white country bread, crusts trimmed, bread cut into 3/4-inch dice

1. In a large saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the sliced onion and smashed garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juice, the water, heavy cream, sugar, crushed red pepper, celery seed and oregano and season with salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, breaking up the tomatoes with the back of a spoon. Reduce the heat to moderate and simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, cook the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter over moderately high heat until it begins to brown, about 1 minute. Scrape the browned butter into a medium bowl. Add the olive oil to the skillet. Add the diced bread and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until it is slightly browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer the bread to the browned butter and toss well.
3. Working in batches, transfer the tomato soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Return the soup to a clean pot and rewarm the soup if necessary. Season the soup with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with the croutons.