| | When choosing tomatoes for this soup, look for the sweetest and ripest ones you can find. Although any color can be used, try yellow tomatoes and a purple basil garnish for a spectacular presentation.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 lb. tomatoes (about 10 medium)
2 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons crème fraîche or sour cream, if desired*
3 tablespoons minced fresh basil
1. Heat oven to 400°F. In small bowl, stir together oil, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Remove core from tomatoes; brush whole tomatoes with oil mixture. Place in shallow baking pan.
2. Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until skins have split and tomatoes have slightly collapsed. Let cool 20 minutes or until tomatoes can be handled. Brush seasoning mixture off tomatoes; reserve. Remove and discard skins.
3. Put tomatoes, accumulated juices and seasoning mixture in large saucepan or nonreactive Dutch oven; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high to medium; boil 10 to 15 minutes or until slightly thickened, using spoon to stir and crush tomatoes. Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium to medium-low; simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. If desired, puree slightly in blender or pass through food mill to remove seeds.
4. Pour into soup bowls. Top each serving with crème fraîche; sprinkle with basil.
TIP *Crème fraîche is a slightly tangy, thickened cream. It can be found in the dairy section of gourmet supermarkets.
4 (1 2/3-cup) servings
PER SERVING: 195 calories, 11 g total fat (2.5 g saturated fat), 7 g protein, 20.5 g carbohydrate, 5 mg cholesterol, 925 mg sodium, 4 g fiber | |
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