sprinklefingers

…make this soup!

i’m hoping this is it for the gray days of spring. oregon has a way of stringing several rainy days together, throwing in one or two beautifully sunny days, then going straight back to 6 days of gray, drizzly rain in a row. but, hopefully, with - you know - summer coming, that’s all about to end.

but, before it does, you should treat yourself to this soup. it’s delicious. it makes enough so that you’ll have a bit left over to freeze. it’s not light, so it makes a hearty meal even though it’s just soup.

tomato-cheddar soup
adapted from pure flavor by kurt beecher dammeier

• 6 T unsalted butter
• 1 yellow onion, diced fine
• 3 28-oz cans best quality crushed tomatoes 
• 1.5 t white pepper (do not substitute black pepper)
• 1.5 t kosher salt
• 20 oz aged white cheddar, shredded
• 1 cup heavy cream (I told you this isn’t light.)

1. in a non-reactive soup pot, melt the butter. add the onion and cook over low-ish heat until soft & melty. don’t raise the heat here, the key is to cook the onions without browning them. this onion-cooking step should take around 12-15 minutes.
2. to the butter & onions, add the tomatoes, 5 cups of water, pepper & salt. bring to a low boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, depending upon when you want to get dinner on the table.
3. add the cheese and the cream. stir until cheese is melted. serve hot.
4. this soup is best topped with homemade croutons. i actually wouldn’t eat it without the croutons.

it keeps in the fridge for 4 days. you can also put it in freezer containers and freeze for 6 months. let thaw in fridge overnight and take care when reheating because it contains a lot of cheese!