SUMMER TOMATO SOUP

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 fennel bulb, trimmed and diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 pounds plum, Campari,  or home grown tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 cups chicken broth
• salt (optional) and pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (parsley, chervil, tarragon and chives)
• 1/4 cup dry vermouth (optional)
• Feta cheese, cubed 1 inch cubes

Instructions

1. In an 8 quart pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, warm oil.
2. Add onion, fennel, cook stirring occasionally until tender.  About 8 minutes.
3. Add garlic cook until fragrant.
4. Add vermouth (optional) and cook until evaporated.
5. Add tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped and tomato paste, stirring occasionally until tomatoes break down, 8-10 minutes.
6. Add broth, bring to boil.  Reduce heat to low, simmer about 20 minutes.
7. Using an immersion blender puree soup, leave some texture.
8. Season with salt(optional) and pepper and stir in herbs.
9. Place a feta cube in each soup bowl and ladle soup over.

Notes

John Hopkins…why we love this recipe:  It tastes great!  You’ll swear it’s loaded with the cream usually found in tomato soup.  We like to make it all natural and salt free.  It is very healthy, freezes well, and can be doubled or tripled to provide continued pleasure throughout the year!

Special tips:  We change by using Campari tomatoes when home grown not available.  I also sometimes, leave out the broth and tomato paste, blanch the tomatoes, remove skin and chop retaining the juice and seeds.  This way I know it is all natural and still has enough liquid.  Other times I leave out the fennel bulb and add a red bell pepper.  We then call it Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup

John Hopkins via KathyMillerTime