Tuscan Tomato Soup

I know you're probably wondering why I'm posting a recipe for soup in August.  I realize most people are more interested in throwing something on the grill and calling it a done deal and I like cooking outside too, but this recipe is a new one for me and I love it so much I can't wait until cold weather to share it.  And if you like to cook seasonally, like I do, then this is the perfect time to make a fresh tomato soup.  This recipe came from a friend of a friend and truly it's one of the best soups I've ever had. 

This has been a dismal year for gardening in the southeast.  Most everything is suffering from too much rain, but especially the  tomatoes.  The few I've been gathering are small.  I've been waiting for a nice big heirloom to ripen so I can have at least one tomato sandwich.  I think maybe I'll get that this week.  With tomatoes in short supply, I've been thankful for what I've harvested and been trying to make use of them in the very best ways.  This soup makes the cut.

To begin with, I used the ripe tomatoes on the counter, big, little, red, yellow, whatever I had, and blanched them in hot water for a couple of minutes, so I could slip off the peels.  Then I heated some olive oil in a soup pot, and added some rough chopped onions.

Everything will be blended in the end, so you don't have to be too particular when chopping ingredients.  When the onions were soft, not browned, I added the quartered tomatoes,

and chicken broth.  Then I turned the heat to a low simmer and let it cook for thirty minutes.

I let the soup cool slightly and then put it in my blender to get it nice and smooth.

I worked with a little at a time, pouring it into a bowl, before blending the next few cups, always remembering to put a dishcloth over the top of the blender before turning it on.  I've had a mess like you wouldn't believe, blending soups before, and hot soup spraying over your kitchen is not fun!   An immersion blender would be ideal for this, but mine isn't very good and my blender is awesome, so I do it this way.

Here's where things get really exciting.  After blending the tomato mixture, you stir in pesto.  You've made some this summer, right?  If you haven't, and you have some basil, it's really easy.  Here's a good, basic recipe.  Of course you can buy it in the store too.

The last thing you add is a little half and half to give it just a hint  of creaminess.  Oh, and I added a splash of balsamic vinegar too.

This is all there is to it.  I gently reheated the soup (no boiling, because of the half and half), and I was ready to have lunch.  I loved the color that resulted from the different types of tomatoes and the little specks of green from the pesto.   This is really such a delicious soup and the flavor improves over time, so leftovers are desirable!  I'm thinking it might even be nice with a little cucumber chopped and added to it, served cold, gazpacho style.  Then it would be a perfect, summer soup.  But I have no problem eating it hot.  I can always cool off with some ice cream for dessert, right? 

Tuscan Tomato Soup

1 medium chopped onion 

5 cups fresh or canned tomatoes

3 cups chicken broth

1 cup pesto

1 1/2 (or less) cups half and half

1/2 t. salt

Saute onion in olive oil until soft.  Add tomatoes and chicken broth.  Simmer for thirty minutes.  Blend until smooth. Add pesto and cream and reheat at low temperature.  Salt as desired.