Tomato Basil Soup

When we had our restaurant in Yorktown Heights, it always pleased that so many of our customers enjoyed our soups. We offered our soups year round - several hot varieties in the winter and at least one hot and one cold soup in the summer.

One of our most popular, Tomato Basil Soup, is also one of the easiest to make. It starts with tomato puree (duh). You can make the puree yourself from cooked fresh tomatoes or just open a can. Depending on how thick the puree is, add a combination chicken and beef stock to thin the puree to the consistency you prefer. If you’re cooking fresh tomatoes, add some stock when you first start cooking the tomatoes. The stock adds a rich flavor to the soup.

Add fresh chopped basil. About 1 to 2 tablespoons per quart of soup should be enough. Add a few squirts of worcestershire sauce and some sugar if the tomatoes are very acidic. Cook for about 10 minutes and taste for salt and pepper. Just before serving add a little half and half.

This is a perfect soup to serve with some whole grain bread on one of those cold winter nights. Almost makes you look forward to another blizzard.