Crushed Tomato Basil Soup on a bitterly cold day hits the spot! It’s perfect as a Meatless Monday meal with your favorite grilled cheese sandwich on the side! I had recently joined NY Times Cooking and came across a recipe for Provencal Tomato and Basil Soup that I had saved in my recipe box. It looked similar to one I’ve made before, but it had one ingredient in it which put me in a quandary. Rice. Why I asked? I’ll let you think about that one for a bit.
Today was the day to restock some of my pantry items that were low. Stocked on the grocery shelves were these crushed tomatoes next to where my favorite San Marzano tomatoes should be. I’m getting irritated here. Now I’m going to have to make a trip to a different grocery store for them. Perhaps I should just shop in one place that consistently carries items I use. I grabbed a couple of the crushed tomatoes to have on hand to make some Touchdown Chili. Unfortunately, I wasn’t in a chili making mood; I’ll save these for the Super Bowl. As I walked to the car, the wind with the low temperatures gave a chill to my bones. I need some tomato soup….and some grilled cheese to dip in it.
One small onion yields about 1/2 cup. I usually have red onions on hand, but I seem to have a surplus of yellow right now so I’m going to use those today .Sauté them in the olive oil until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the pressed garlic with 1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt until fragrant, between 30 and 60 seconds.
Pour in the crushed tomatoes and basil leaves with a pinch of sugar. Cook for about 15 minutes on medium-low heat, stirring every 2 minutes or so.
Add in the 4 cups(1 quart) of water along with a piece of parmesan rind, if you have some available. I usually save them to throw in soups. It seems to add that special umami kick to soups, stews and broths. Just keep the rinds in the freezer until needed. Place the lid on the pot and let the rind do its magic for the next 15 minutes as it simmers.
Stir in the rice and continue to simmer for 15-20 minutes or until rice is soft to the bite. Add the soup to a blender in two parts, about 3 cups each time. Place a towel on top of the lid and hold it down as you blend until smooth. You shouldn’t be able to taste any bits of rice when complete.
Now you ask, why the rice? It thickens the soup and leaves it with such a silky texture! I would even hypothesize that the rice makes it taste less acidic. By the way, the basil was blended into this as well. It’s just another full infusion of flavor that’s incredible in this soup!. Those picky eaters won’t suspect anything green was used in developing this masterpiece!
Put the blended Crushed Tomato Basil Soup back in the pot to warm back up for serving. Season to taste. I added another 1 1/2 teaspoons on salt and a few grinds of fresh black pepper. The possibilities of garnishes abound! Throw in some garlic croutons, shaved or grated parmesan, basil chiffonade, or if the kids are involved, a few goldfish for them to catch with their spoons. Try a sprinkle of Old Bay or even a toasted baguette rubbed with garlic….or maybe…..
Crushed Tomato Basil Soup
Ingredients
- 2 T extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 c onion, finely diced
- 1 t pressed garlic cloves,
- 1` 28-oz crushed tomatoes
- 4 c water
- 2 T fresh basil chiffonade, chopped or leaves from 2 sprigs or 2 t dried basil
- 2 t Kosher salt, divided
- 1/4 c Jasmine rice, uncooked
- 1/4- 1/2 t black pepper, freshly ground
- 1 parmesan rind, optional
Instructions
- Saute onion in olive oil on medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds- 1 minute.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, basil leaves or chiffonade along with a pinch of sugar. Cook on medium-low for about 15 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes.
- Add the water and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
- Add rice and cook for 15-20 minutes or until rice is soft to the bite.
- Blend the mixture in a blender and mix until smooth a creamy. Rice should not be visible any longer and texture should be smooth. I did this in two parts.
- Return the soup to the pot and season with up to 1 1/2 teaspoons of additional Kosher salt, your taste preference, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Serve with garnishes of garlic croutons, basil chiffonade and/or shaved or grated parmesan cheese. Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. This may also be frozen for later use.
