Tomato Cream Soup (Martha Stewart)

Quick and easy to make, this soup is also comforting any time of year. This creamy tomato soup calls for whole peeled tomatoes. This is the main and most important ingredient in the soup, which has just a few ingredients - so the flavour of the tomatoes has a moment to shine. We prefer to use canned whole peeled tomatoes, not crushed or diced canned tomatoes; we find the quality and flavour of the former to be superior. You might think starting with already crushed or puréed tomatoes is a shortcut - no blender to wash - but we don't agree. We prefer whole canned tomatoes, which have only salt added. Canned whole tomatoes are the most versatile canned tomato product; they can do anything other canned tomatoes can (pun intended) if you chop, crush, or purée them. Often, crushed or diced tomatoes have tomato purée or other tomato products added to them, altering their original flavour and including a high sodium content. Some brands are better than others; try a few to see which ones you prefer.

2 Tbsp. butter
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1-2 cloves garlic
2 (14 oz) cans whole peeled tomatoes, such as Muir Glen
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
1½ cups chicken broth
½ cup heavy cream

Melt butter in a medium stockpot over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic, stirring constantly, until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes.

Add tomatoes, their juices and broth. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Working in batches, transfer the tomato mixture to a blender, food processor, or food mill. Purée tomato mixture (if using a blender, cover the lid with a kitchen towel while machine is running).

Return soup to a clean pot and set over low heat. Whisk in cream; season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings.

Cook's Notes:

 Storing Tomato Soup:

• Transfer the soup to a bowl set over an ice-water bath to cool completely. Then transfer the cooled soup to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to three days. Reheat it over medium heat until heated through and serve.
  Freezing
• To make this tomato soup more than three days ahead of when you will use it, store it in the freezer. Do not add the cream to the soup and cool it completely as directed above. Whether you freeze it in individual portions or as one entire batch of soup, be sure to leave headroom in the container as the soup will expand as it freezes.
• Reheating frozen soup: When you are ready to enjoy, defrost the soup overnight in the refrigerator and reheat as outlined above.

Frequently Asked Questions:

• How can you thicken tomato soup? You can thicken your tomato soup a couple of ways. First, by simmering the soup over low to medium heat until it reduces and thickens. Second, make a slurry of a small amount of water and cornstarch and slowly add this to the soup while stirring.
• What is the difference between tomato soup and tomato bisque? The difference between tomato soup and tomato bisque is generally that a bisque is made with cream but the definitions are not clear-cut. Bisque is a French word that describes a soup as thick and a bisque is a soup usually made with seafood and cream. However, tomato bisque does not contain seafood, only cream and tomato soup often also contains cream.
• What causes the cream in tomato soup to curdle? What causes the cream in tomato soup to curdle can be if the cream is added too quickly. Tomatoes are acidic and can react to the cream. To avoid this, slowly add the cream while stirring the tomato soup. This will neutralize the acidity of the soup and avoid curdling.