Tomato Basil Soup

The secret to a great tomato soup is adding brown sugar.

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 4 Serviings

Ingredients

• 1  teaspoon olive oil
• 1  small onion, chopped
• 1  carrot, peeled and diced
• 3  garlic cloves, minced
• 3  tablespoons white wine
• 2  teaspoons dried basil or 2  tablesppons fresh basil
• 1  teaspoon oregano
• 1 1⁄2 cups  chicken stock
• 1 (28 ounce) can  fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1  tablespoon brown sugar (to taste)
• 1⁄4 cup half-and-half (optional) or 1⁄4 cup heavy cream (optional)

Directions

1. Sauté the onion, carrots and garlic in the olive oil for 5 minutes over medium heat. When the onions are tender, pour in the white wine and cook until all the liquid has evaporated. Stir in the dried herbs and some salt and pepper.
2. Pour in the chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and brown sugar. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook 30 minutes.
3. Taste the seasoning and add more brown sugar if it is too acidic. Add the fresh basil, if using. You can purée the soup in a blender at this point if you would like a smoother texture. Do it in batches; only fill the blender half full when blending hot liquids. Return the soup back to the pot.
4. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream. This soup could be simmered for hours to deepen the flavor or made the day before. Add the fresh basil and cream just before serving.