HEARTY GARDEN FRESH HOMEMADE TOMATO SOUP OR SAUCE

HEARTY GARDEN FRESH HOMEMADE TOMATO SOUP OR SAUCE image

Yield 10

Number Of Ingredients 16

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2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large Spanish onions, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
4 sticks celery, chopped
8 garlic cloves, minced
2 red peppers, chopped
8 lbs fresh tomatoes ( This is an estimate, the "true" measurement is a gallon ziploc bag full or whatever fills my 8 quart pot)
1 tablespoon basil pesto ( pureed basil and garlic with a little olive oil)
1 teaspoon sage, chopped
8 sprigs thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons tomato paste ( I used homemade, made with garlic and bay leaves)
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 quart chicken stock ( or vegetable stock)

Steps:

Sauté first 5 ingredients in olive oil until soft in an 8-10 quart pot. Make a bundle of the sage, thyme and bay leaves by wrapping them with string in cheesecloth (you can tie the string to a pot handle to make it easier to remove later). Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours. Let cool. Puree through a food mill fitted with a medium blade. The use of a medium blade gives you a soup with plenty of pulp (you can adjust blade size if you like). Reheat and adjust seasonings as needed. Add a splash of heavy cream before serving if you want cream of tomato soup. If you don't have a food mill you can also make this a semi-chunky soup, but I'd recommend a smaller dice for onions, carrots, celery and red peppers. To make a sauce, return to pot after pureeing and let it continue to simmer over low heat until it reaches the desired consistency.