Happy December everyone!
I texted the above picture of this Nordstrom’s Famous Tomato Basil Soup to my husband one day to motivate him to hurry home from work for a nice warm dinner. It worked!! He was home in no time!
Did you have a nice Thanksgiving? Mine was a bit stressful, as my oldest landed himself in the hospital for a couple of days! More on that here. Scary–but he is fine now-thank goodness! In other news I have been busy getting my house all decked for Christmas and I am now checking things off my shopping list and wrapping gifts left and right! I bought myself an early gift (haha) a new digital candy thermometer and can’t wait to use it this weekend making some homemade caramels! A favorite holiday treat at our house! But I digress –back to the post:) I REALLY LOVE to make soup this time of year. It just hits the spot on a cold winter night. A couple of weeks ago we had some seriously cold weather (like almost set a record–brr) I have heard that the Tomato Basil soup at the Nordstrom café is so good that it has a cult following–so of course I really wanted to try it! Since we don’t have a Nordstrom here in Chattanooga (boo hoo) I had to hunt down the recipe to make it myself. I guess there is a Nordstrom cookbook and this recipe is in it. I found the recipe online and this little bit of information regarding the secret to it’s success:
“ The secrets, I think, are the generous use of carrots, which bring a sort of untraceable sweetness, and the use of dried basil, not fresh. That might seem surprising since dried basil gets a bad rep for tasting very little like its fresh counterpart. But it’s actually a useful ingredient, and the concentrated flavor is key for a puréed soup like this. “
Interesting, huh? Well you will have to give it a try and tell me what you think! When I made this soup I also whipped up some grilled cheese sandwiches on sourdough and sent my husband this picture on his phone. I was trying to entice him to come home from the office! I am proud to report , it worked!! He he! I am such a tricky wife! And, by the way I LOVED this recipe and so did my husband! This will be my new go to Tomato Soup recipe from here on out. I always have these ingredients on hand, so it is perfect for us! Simple, fast and delicious!!
Also–if you are in the mood for a simple but stunning craft–try these cool snowflakes! So pretty and fun!!
PrintNordstrom’s Tomato Basil Soup
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 4 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1 tablespoon dried basil, crushed
- 3 28-ounce cans whole peeled Roma tomatoes
- 1 quart chicken broth
- 1 pint heavy cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Add carrots and onion and cook until beginning to soften, 10 minutes, then add basil and cook until vegetables are completely soft, about 5 minutes more.
- Add tomatoes and broth, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20-30 minutes, or up to 45 minutes if you have the time.
- After allowing soup to cool somewhat, purée in a blender or food processor until smooth, doing so in batches if necessary.
- For a much silkier texture, strain the purée before returning to the pot.
- Stir in cream little by little over over low heat, until desired texture is reached and soup is just heated through.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve warm.
Recipe Source: Serious Eats via Nordstrom Cookbook
Mel, this soup looks amazing. I absolutely love tomato soup. I can’t wait to make this. Thanks for sharing.
Mel, this soup looks amazing. I absolutely love tomato soup. I can’t wait to make this. Thanks for sharing.