Tomato-Orange Soup

(recipe, Carrie Floyd)

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Introduction

Portland's Elephants Delicatessen makes a wonderful tomato-orange soup. When the local daily paper published the recipe, I decided to lighten it up by using less butter and cream. My version isn't as rich, but it's still very good; it's even good without any milk or cream.

Ingredients

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
½ medium onion, finely chopped
1 can (28 ounces) unsalted diced or whole tomatoes, chopped, with juice
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 cup fresh orange juice
½ cup whole milk or half-and-half

Steps

Melt the butter in a stockpot or large saucepan; add the onions and sauté over medium heat until they begin to soften. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, baking soda, and thyme. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
Purée with an immersion blender or in a food processor or blender. (If using a blender, avoid burning yourself by only filling up the container halfway before blending.) If desired, strain the soup through a sieve, then return the soup to the pot.
Stir in the orange juice and the milk or half-and-half. Bring back to a simmer and taste for seasoning, adding more salt, pepper, and milk or half-and-half to your liking. Serve hot.

Note

Dried thyme can be substituted for fresh; use ½ tsp. instead. Triple this soup recipe by using a 6-pound can of tomatoes and skipping the milk; freeze the results, then add the milk when you're warming up the thawed soup.