Creamy San Marzano Tomato Soup Recipe

Creamy San Marzano Tomato Soup
( serves 6)

2x 28 oz cans San Marzano tomatoes -whole
1 large Maui Onion -diced
3 garlic cloves -minced
1 carrot -diced
1 celery stalk -diced
1 parsley root -diced
1 bay leaf
3 – 4 c vegetable stock or chicken stock -low sodium
1/4 c heavy cream -optional
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
20 basil leaves -torn

1. Heat up the olive oil on medium flame in a large enameled cast iron pot. Add the onion and a pinch of sea salt and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the diced carrot, celery, parsley root and bay leaf. Saute together for an additional 10 minutes until the veggies begin to soften and add the garlic. Cook one more minute.

2. Roughly crush the tomatoes with your hand and add them to the sofrito. Give everything a good stir then add the stock. Bring to a gentle simmer and allow to cook for 30 minutes.

3. Stir in the cream and simmer a few more minutes. Remove from the flame and blend your soup with an immersion blender until desired consistency is achieved. ( For a rustic texture only give it a buzz or two and leave some tomato chunks in there)
Add the fresh basil reserving a couple of leaves for decoration, ladle the soup into bowls and finish with a few drops of extra virgin olive oil and a few drops of cream. Garnish with some tiny basil leaves.