Cream of Tomato Soup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is the perfect dish to make when you find yourself alone for dinner on a blustery winter's day. I'm featuring a wonderful soup that I first made for my grandsons who shied away from the acidic taste of most tomato soups. When faced with the locked lip syndrome, grandmothers have been known to do strange things. I decided to sweeten the soup I made for them with a bit of catsup. It wasn't a drastic change, mind you. I simply replaced the tomato paste used in the soup base with catsup and the deed was done. The finished soup was slightly sweeter and picked up a bit more flavor from the seasonings in the catsup. It was really good. In fact, it was so good that even the adults enjoyed a cup or two of it and it became my pantry go-to soup. I've found that recipes I repeat in my own kitchen make perfect features to share with you. The soup is made from ingredients that can be found in any well-stock pantry, so I thought you might like to try it for your own families. I'll wager that those of you who try it will really enjoy it. Here is how this simple soup is made.

Cream of Tomato Soup...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Saveur magazine

Ingredients:
4 slices thick-cut bacon, finely chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
3 tablespoons catsup
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup canned tomato sauce
4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
2 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
1 (15-oz.) can whole, peeled tomatoes in juice, crushed by hand
1/4 cup heavy cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Crème fraîche, croutons, and finely chopped chives, to garnish

Directions:
1) Heat bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat, and cook until its fat renders and bacon is crisp, about 15 minutes.
2) Add butter, and increase temperature to medium-high; add garlic, onion, and carrot, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 10 minutes.
3) Add catsup, and cook, stirring, to blend. Add flour, and cook, stirring until smooth, about 2 minutes more.
4) Add tomato sauce, chicken stock,  thyme, bay leaf, and tomatoes, and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced, about 30 minutes.
5) Remove from heat, and purée using an immersion blender. Stir in cream and season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and garnish as desired. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

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