Growing up in a single parent household with two hungry siblings, we relied heavily on simple, quick meals to get us through the week when mom had to work late. That meant quite a few casseroles (Penny Casserole, Chicken a la king), baked Italian pastas (it took me a few years of not living at home until I could eat a stuffed shell again) and of course - Grilled Cheese with Cream of Tomato Soup.
When I hear "Cream of Tomato Soup", like millions of Americans, I think of the salty, savory flavor of Campbell's Condensed Cream of Tomato Soup. Tasty for sure, but one dimensional. But, if Campbell's is 1D, the version of the soup in Saveur's 101 Classic Recipes produces a soup that is full on 3-D.
The ingredients are:
4 slices thick-cut bacon, finely chopped
2 tbsp unsalted butter
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp flour
4 cups chicken stock
2 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
1 15-oz can whole, peeled, crushed by hand
1/4 cup heavy cream
Kosher salt and ground pepper, to taste
Creme fraiche, croutons and finely chopped chives, to garnish
Many of the recipes in that I have been cooking call for the use of a 4-quart saucepan, but in my experience the more room your food has to cook, the better the final results. The bottom of my pot is a bit thinner than my saucepan, so I have to keep a closer eye on the flame that I cook with to make sure the food doesn't burn or heat more quickly than I'd like, but that tends to be the only difference for me. Plus the wooden spoon makes a satisfying clang when I bang the remnants off of it by hitting the side of the stock pot. When I hit the spoon on the side of the saucepan the sound it makes is more of a "plink".
I placed my stock pot on medium heat and heated the bacon until all the fat had rendered out and the bacon had crisped nicely.
I then added the butter, cranked the heat up a bit and added the onion, garlic and carrot, stirring until it had softened and the onions had become translucent, about 10 minutes. I was surprised that there was no celery in the recipe, leaving the traditional soup/sauce base mirepoix incomplete. That would be an interesting addition when I make the recipe again.
I tossed in the tomato paste and cooked until caramelized a bit, then added the flour and cooked while stirring constantly (about 5 minutes total).
Next - the big dump. Into the pot went the stock, thyme, bay leaf and tomatoes and once they had boiled, I reduced the heat to low and simmered the soup until it had reduced a bit, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Once the soup had finished cooking I removed it from the stove and engaged my trusty immersion blender to puree the heck out of it. After pureeing the soup, I stirred in the cream and seasoned lightly with salt, but liberally with pepper.
For garnish the recipe calls for creme fraiche, croutons and diced chives which posed some problems. Trying to stay as low carb as possible, croutons were out, I checked a few local groceries and couldn't find creme fraiche, so I tried to make it at home using a recipe I found online (two cups buttermilk mixed with one tablespoon of lemon juice, left on the counter, covered, overnight), but it was unsuccessful. Instead, to plate (do you "plate" soup? Maybe you "bowl" it?) the soup I used sour cream mixed with a little milk and chopped chives.
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| Cream of Tomato Soup - Schuler Version |
I made the soup for a group of friends (as all great cooking should be) and there wasn't a lick left in each bowl when they finished. In comparison to the salty, almost tinny taste of the Campbell's Tomato soup, this was fresh tasting with a smoky undertone from the bacon. I am a big fan of sour cream in all forms and one of my favorite moments in eating this was when I would put a spoonful in my mouth and the hot, savory soup would first coat my tongue, only to be extinguished by the creamy, tart taste of the sour cream. Kind of like the mouth feel of cool blue cheese on a chicken wing. Yum.
I'll probably make this again, but to me the experience of making this soup is a little less about this final product as it is about learning the basic structure of the recipe and playing with the parts - Cream of Potato, Cream of Asparagus, Cream of Parsnip, Cream of Broccoli, etc, etc. I'm a big fan of the skill of "Kitchen Cupboard" Cooking. That is, the ability to look into the kitchen cupboard, fridge and pantry and making a great meal out of whatever is in there. Culinary problem solving at its finest.
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| Credit: Todd Coleman |
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