La Madeleine's Tomato-Basil Soup

• Total Time: 1 hrs
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 4 cups fresh tomatoes, cored, peeled, and chopped (8-10) or 4 cups canned whole tomatoes, crushed
• 4 cups tomato juice (or part vegetable or part chicken stock)
• 12 -14 basil leaves, washed fresh
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 lb sweet unsalted butter
• salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• lemon juice (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine tomatoes, juice/and or stock in saucepan.
2. Simmer 30 minutes.
3. Puree, along with the basil leaves, in small batches, in blender, food processor (or better yet, one of those handy hand-held food blenders, right in the cooking pan). Return to saucepan and add cream and butter, while stirring, over low heat. Garnish with basil leaves and serve with your favorite bread.
4. Excerpted from an article by Beverly Bundy of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram around May 20. 1994.
5. She wrote, "Once a year, in January I run a column of our most requested recipes -- This year, that column included the recipe for La Madeleine's popular tomato basil soup. I continue to get at least 10 calls a week asking for the recipe. So here it is, once again -- ".

Reviews

[youngphyl]

I'm so happy to have the recipe! I made it last night and it tastes just like the soup at La Madeleine's! It was easy to make and everyone loved it. I used canned, crushed tomatoes and 1 can of chicken broth with enough tomato juice to equal 4 cups of liquid. A new family favorite!

[Just Call Me Martha]

This is quick and easy to make and the flavour is wonderful. I used canned tomatoes and fresh basil. I would lighten it up next time by using a lighter cream or milk. Actually, we kept "testing" it as it simmered and both of us agreed that it would make quite a nice soup without the milk at all. I will make this again soon, and often.

[Sueie]

The only change I made was using light evaporated milk instead of cream. This soup with deliciously simple to make and tasting.