MAKES: A LOT
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: NO IDEA AND WHO CARES
INGREDIENTS
2-3 Large Vidalia or Sweet Onions
1 Tblsp Olive Oil (see ONION CREAM instructions below)
~
4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
4 Medium Sized Carrots – Minced
4 Medium Ribs of Celery- Minced
½ Medium Sized Shallot – Minced
2 Cloves Garlic – Pressed
3 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
1 ½ Tblsp Pre-prepared Basil Pesto
1 Tblsp Sugar
1 Cup White Wine (dry and not “Oakey” – I use a Pinot Grigio)
5 16 Ounce cans of FIRE ROASTED TOMATOES with juice
2 Cups Chicken or Vegetable Stock
Salt & Pepper to Taste
FOR THE ONION CREAM
- Preheat Oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
- Place whole Onions in a sealed foil packet and drizzle lightly with Olive Oil (like you would when roasting beets or garlic)
- Place the foil packet on a baking sheet and bake for 1 ½ – 2 hours until the insides feel SUPER soft when you poke them with a knife or a skewer.
- When cool enough to the touch gently peel the outer layers of skin off and discard.
- Puree the onions in a food processor until creamy and smooth.
**Note** You can use this onion cream in just about ANY recipe. The slow roasting brings out an incredible sweetness of the onions that you otherwise wouldn’t experience through just sweating them. Like caramelizing only better because you have so little work to do! This keeps in the fridge for about 2-3 days or you can do what I do and freeze it in ice cube trays to use at a later date.
FOR THE SOUP:
- Sauté the Minced Carrots, Celery and Shallots in all of the butter until soft and translucent.
- Add in ½ cup of the Onion Cream and pressed Garlic.
- Sauté 2-3 minutes more until Garlic starts to release its flavor.
- Deglaze the pan with 1 Cup White Wine. Let the wine evaporate and cook down into the veggie mixture.
- Add your canned Tomatoes, Fresh Thyme and Chicken stock and return to a simmer.
- When the soup begins to simmer again Add in your PARMESAN cheese wedge.
- Reduce heat to low and let (low) simmer for 2 Hours.
- Carefully remove the ooey gooey Parm Wedge(s) and set aside. Remove the Thyme stems and discard.
- Using a hand blender, Puree the Soup (carefully!) until desired smoothness. Alternatively you can also puree in a regular blender until smooth and return to your pot.
- Add your Parm wedge back in. Add in the Basil Pesto and Sugar and Season to taste with Salt and Pepper.
- Return to a very low simmer for 1 more hour.
As with most any soup, this is best served the following day to let the flavors mashup into awesomeness.
If you want to make it creamier add a conservative splash of heavy cream just a few minutes before serving letting the soup simmer just about 5 minutes to incorporate the cream.
I serve this with Slivered Fresh Basil, Crispy Crumbled Bacon and Crumbled Fresh Goat Cheese. I mean can we say YUM!?
** Note** If you want to freeze this do so WITHOUT the extra addition of heavy cream you may have wanted to add in at the end, it just works better.
Enjoy!
Pippa