by Monica Kass Rogers
My Father has simple tastes, and with home-grown tomatoes, simple is best. The juiciness and flavor of summer-ripened tomatoes has us eating them out of hand, in salads, or sliced onto the classic white-bread-tomato-mayo sandwich. But Dad’s forever favorite is this soup. It’s delicious plain; even better infused with herbs, and it’s very easy to make. Also a boon? Once the garden has given up its yield, this recipe works well with store-bought tomatoes, for year-round enjoyment. Add grilled cheese sandwiches made with fresh, crusty bread to put the meal over the top.
Ingredients
1, heavy-bottomed stockpot
1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter
2, medium yellow or white onions, peeled, cored, and rough chopped
½ cup fresh chopped herbs of your choice, stuffed into a tea-infuser ball (I love this soup with rosemary, but oregano, basil or dill are also good)
8 to 10 medium tomatoes, washed and chopped
Salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
A few sprigs of herb for garnish
Instructions
- In heavy bottomed pot over medium heat, melt butter with chopped onion. Turn heat to low and cook until onions are soft and translucent. Add tea-infuser ball stuffed with herbs to the pot. (Note: I do this to infuse the soup with flavor, without the textural distraction any little stems.) Add chopped tomatoes. Cover pot and cook stirring occasionally until tomatoes have released their juices and are very soft. Remove tea infuser ball to a bowl to drain. Blend soup with an immersion blender, or countertop blender. Stir in any remaining herb juices that have collected in the bowl from the infuser. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with a sprinkling of herbs of choice. Serve hot.