The Corporate Cookbook

About This Recipe:

One of my favorite go to lunch options at work is Hale and Hearty’s cream of tomato soup. Their version has chicken and orzo, but I wanted to make a vegetarian tomato soup with croutons instead of orzo as the carb. The Hale and Hearty soup is also much creamier and richer, so I guess this recipe is just very loosely based off of it. Regardless, this cream of tomato soup is super simple and the perfect thing to have on hand during the week for a nourishing and warm lunch. This would be great with a grilled cheese sandwich for a more filling meal, but I just popped some diced bread into a 400 degree F oven for about 10 minutes and called it a day.

Enjoy!

Ingredients (4 servings)

-1 onion, sliced
-4 garlic cloves, minced
-1 tbl tomato paste
-2 (28 oz) cans San Marzano whole tomatoes
-1 cup water
-2 tbls white sugar
-1/2 cup heavy cream
-1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
–Optional: croutons
-Olive oil

Seasonings
-1/4 tsp thyme
-1/4 tsp dried oregano
-1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
-Salt and pepper

Instructions (45 minutes) 

1. In a Dutch oven or pot over medium heat, pour in 1-2 tbls of olive oil and cook the onions for about 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic for 1 minute.
2. Mix in the tomato paste and reduce for 2-3 minutes. Then add in the San Marzano tomatoes, water, and sugar, and bring to a boil. Simmer covered for 15 minutes.
3. Pour in the heavy cream, chopped basil, and seasonings. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.
4. Blend the soup in a food processor or blender until it is your desired consistency. Serve with croutons or grilled cheese.