Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds of plum tomatoes, or 2 16-ounce cans of whole plum tomatoes with basil
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 sweet onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 large carrot, chopped
- 1 potato, peeled and chopped into 1” chunks
- 1 quart vegetable broth or water
- 1 large leek, cut in half lengthwise and chopped in ¼” slices
- 2 cups basil leaves
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil to serve (optional)
Preparation:
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, carrot and potato and cook for 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes, broth, and a healthy pinch of sea salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes, until vegetables are very tender.
While soup is cooking, wash chopped leeks thoroughly. Heat remaining tablespoon of oil in a skillet. Sauté leeks over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until leeks are firm but tender. Set aside.
After 25 minutes, add the basil leaves to the soup and remove from heat. Puree soup with a vertical wand blender until creamy.
Add leeks and season to taste. Cook an additional 5 minutes before serving. If desired, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil when serving.
Serves 4-6
Copyright 2009 by Jen Hoy
