Last Thanksgiving, Jeff and I opted for a quiet romantic Thanksgiving dinner alone at home because we knew the kids would be with their mom, and my parents decided to go on vacation that weekend. So we kindly declined the offers we had from friends and extended family. Since it would be just the two of us, we reserved the traditional turkey dinner for our family dinner later that weekend when Jeff’s parents came down to visit, and decided to go simple and elegant–grilled lobster tails, a salad, warm soft rolls, and a good soup.
The instant we made our menu decision, I knew the perfect soup. A recipe I’d saved for quite some some–Pioneer Woman’s rich creamy sherried tomato soup. It’s really a bisque. So simple and quick to make, yet so smooth and elegant. And it was delicious…my new favorite tomato soup! In our house, a meatless soup is a first course, not a main course. This soup is the perfect accompaniment to something as fancy as grilled lobster or grilled shrimp, yet would be equally delicious with a simple grilled cheese sandwich. We used PW’s regular not-so-lean recipe (it was a special occasion, after all). But this would still taste very good lightened up with the suggestions I’ve noted below (how I plan to make it the next time).
- 6 Tablespoons Melted Butter (or light margarine, I use Brummel and Brown)
- 1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
- 1 bottle (46 Oz.) Tomato Juice
- 2 cans (14 Oz. Cans) Diced Tomatoes
- 1 Tablespoon Chicken Base
- 3 Tablespoons Sugar (or Splenda no-calorie sweetener)
- 1 pinch Salt
- Black Pepper To Taste
- 1 cup Cooking Sherry
- 1-1/2 cup Heavy Cream (or Half and Half)
- Chopped Fresh Parsley
- Chopped Fresh Basil
- Sauté diced onions in butter until translucent.
- Add tomatoes, tomato juice, chicken base, sugar, pinch of salt, black pepper and stir.
- Bring to a near boil, then turn off heat.
- Add in sherry and cream and stir.
- Add in parsley and basil to taste.
- Adjust other seasonings and serve.
This is my favorite soup, ever! Over the years I’ve adjusted it to include 3 garlic cloves and I purée it at the end with my immersion blender. It freezes beautifully.