Cream of Tomato Soup

Solving the age old
soup-in-the-'stache problem

For years I knew what I would be eating for lunch every Friday.  In elementary school our cafeteria would get simmering tomato soup every Friday and fill the school with it's wonderful aroma.  When I got to Catholic school they made a pretty good version of tomato soup too, and at home my Mom would serve Campbell's Tomato Soup with fried egg sandwiches every Friday till the Pope let us off the hook from fasting meat once a week.  
Now I make tomato soup from the beautiful fresh tomatoes available all year in Greece.  I always think of my daughter Anna when I make this soup. It is her all time favorite!!  
So, since it's Lent,  it's almost Friday,  I'm thinking of my Anna, and I have a sack of tomatoes, I'll get cooking up some good memories... and a great soup!


Cream of Tomato Soup

1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cup onions, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
5 large tomatoes
1 T. tomato paste
3 cloves garlic
3 cups chicken stock
1 t. sugar
salt and pepper
3/4 cup heavy cream
fresh basil leaves for garnish

Saute the onions, celery and carrots in the butter for 10 minutes.  Add all of the rest of the ingredients, except the cream and bring to a boil; reduce the heat to simmer the soup for 35 minutes, uncovered.  
When the tomatoes are very soft, put the soup through a sieve.  Gently heat the soup with the cream.  Serve with croutons, fresh basil leaves and a dab of sour cream or yogurt.