When I was in grade school, my favorite lunch was canned tomato soup accompanied by an American cheese sandwich on wheat bread, cold or grilled. It’s still one of my favorite meals but canned soup just doesn’t do it for me anymore.  Classic tomato soup only requires a few ingredients and doesn’t take long to make.  Sometimes I like to kick it up a notch, so I’ll throw in a seeded, diced jalapeño pepper or a teaspoon of red pepper flakes before blending. 

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons salted butter
28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
3 cups chicken stock
1 medium (4-ounce) onion, diced
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1 tablespoon dried basil
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
black pepper

TOOLS
medium (3-quart) pot
measuring cups and spoons
ladle
blender

METHOD
1. Melt butter in pot over low heat, then stir in all remaining ingredients.
2. Simmer on low, stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes.
3. Taste, and season with additional salt, as needed.
4. Turn off the heat and let stand until cool — about 20 minutes.
5. Pulse in blender, dividing into at least two batches, until smooth.

NOTES & TIPS
• To avoid spills, fill blender only HALFWAY before pulsing.
• If soup is too thick, add a half cup of chicken stock.

READY IN
1 hour

YIELD
4 servings