Tomato-Orange Soup

By Carrie Floyd, from the Culinate Kitchen collection

Serves	3 to 4
Total Time	40 minutes

Introduction

Portland’s Elephants Delicatessen makes a wonderful tomato-orange soup. When the local daily paper published the recipe, I decided to lighten it up by using less butter and cream. My version isn’t as rich, but it’s still very good; it’s even good without any milk or cream.

Ingredients

	3	Tbsp. unsalted butter
	½	medium onion, finely chopped
	1	can (28 ounces) unsalted diced or whole tomatoes, chopped, with juice
	1	tsp. kosher salt
	½	tsp. freshly ground black pepper
	¼	tsp. baking soda
	1	tsp. fresh thyme leaves
	1	cup fresh orange juice
	½	cup whole milk or half-and-half

Steps

1. Melt the butter in a stockpot or large saucepan; add onions and sauté over medium heat until they begin to soften. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper, baking soda, and thyme. Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, and cook uncovered for 15 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
2. Purée with an immersion blender or in a food processor or blender. (If using a blender, avoid burning yourself by only filling up the container halfway before blending.) If desired, strain soup through a sieve.
3. Return soup to pot and stir in orange juice and milk or half-and-half. Bring to a simmer and taste for seasoning, adding more salt, pepper, and milk or half-and-half to your liking. Serve hot.

Notes

Dried thyme can be substituted for fresh; use 1/2 tsp. instead.

Triple this soup recipe by using a 6-pound can of tomatoes and skipping the milk; freeze the results, then add the milk when you’re warming up the thawed soup.

Copyright © 2006–2008 Culinate, Inc. All rights reserved.