My favorite tomato soup is gazpacho, the chilled Spanish soup of summer. But a few years back I ran across a tomato soup recipe just as tomato season was ending. It called for canned tomatoes, but I thought a light but hot soup that takes advantage of the final tomato crop -- and is delicious straight out of a thermos -- would be welcome. Garlic is added twice, once for mellow flavor and then a touch more for bite. This is adapted from a recipe by Barbara Kafka's Soup: A Way of Life (Artisan 1998).
Makes 6 starter servings
2 pounds fresh tomatoes
10 to 12 cloves garlic, smashed, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons coarse salt, or to taste
2 cups chicken stock
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Peel and quarter tomatoes then scoop pulp into a container and reserve. Coarsely chop the tomatoes.
In a large saucepan, saute 2/3 of the garlic and bell pepper in the olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes, increase heat to medium-high and cook 5 minutes longer, stirring to prevent burning.
Transfer cooked tomatoes and peppers to a food processor with herbs, remaining garlic and reserved tomato pulp. Pulse several times until slightly coarse.
Return tomato mix to the saucepan, add chicken stock, salt and pepper, and simmer for 10 minutes.
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