We are well into the winter weather here in New York, especially over the last few weeks where it has been quite cold. Today we are getting slammed with a lot of snow, but last night was pretty darn chilly as well. The best way to combat the cold weather? Make some soup for dinner. That is what I decided to do last night and I wanted to try to keep things simple. I am a big fan of tomato soup and I found this very simple recipe from Saveur to make a tomato soup in under 45 minutes and it will have great flavor. You don’t even need a lot of ingredients for this one.

Classic Tomato Soup

2 slices bacon cut into thin matchsticks

1/2 tablespoon butter

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 small carrot, halved and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

2 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups canned diced tomatoes, well drained

2 sprigs thyme

1 bay leaf

1 garlic clove, lightly crushed

2 tablespoons heavy cream

Render the bacon over medium heat in a 3-quart saucepan until it is crisp, about 3 minutes. Remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set it aside, reserving the rendered fat in the saucepan.

Increase the heat to medium-high and add the butter. Saute the onion and carrot for 8 to 10 minutes or until they are very soft and beginning to caramelize, stirring occasionally. Add the tomato paste and continue cooking for about 2 minutes, stirring it frequently. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetable mixture, mix well and continue cooking for another minute. Gradually pour in the chicken broth, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps from forming. Add the diced tomatoes, thyme, bay leaf and garlic and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the soup for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the soup from the heat. Add the heavy cream and puree the soup with an immersion blender until it is smooth. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper and serve the soup garnished with the crisped bacon.

It is very simple to put together and gives you a nice, smooth, creamy texture. This tomato soup is better than any that you will pour out of a can and takes no effort at all. You can even make it completely vegetarian by eliminating the bacon and just adding an extra 1/2 tablespoon of butter instead. You can serve this just by itself or with a nice side salad or even some sandwiches. A lot of people love the grilled cheese and tomato soup combination. For me personally, I love a nice tuna salad sandwich or chicken salad sandwich to go along with it. You could even make some of your own croutons to sprinkle on the soup as well, or try some homemade bread.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for some more recipes. We’re making cookies today for the holidays, so I’ll have some cookie recipes to share this week. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your day, stay warm and dry and enjoy your meal!