Tomato Soup - Barefoot Contessa

INGREDIENTS

Nutrition

• 3

  tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1⁄2

  cups chopped red onions (2 onions)
• 2

  carrots, unpeeled and chopped
• 1

  tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 4

  lbs vine-ripened tomatoes, coarsely chopped (5 large)
• 1

  teaspoon sugar
• 1

  tablespoon tomato paste
• 1⁄4

  cup packed chopped fresh basil leaf, plus julienned basil leaves, for garnish
• 3

  cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1

  tablespoon kosher salt
• 1

  teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 3⁄4

  cup heavy cream or 3/4 cup half-and-half
• 
  

DIRECTIONS

• Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat.
• Add the onions and carrots and saute for about 10 minutes, until very tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
• Add the tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste, basil, chicken stock, salt, and pepper and stir well.
• Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes are very tender.
• Add the cream to the soup and process it through a food mill into a bowl, discarding only the dry pulp that's left.
• Reheat the soup over low heat just until hot and serve with julienned basil leaves and/or croutons.