Peasant tomato soup

4 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
¼ pounds Carrots (2 medium-size), trimmed, scraped and cut into 2-inch pieces
¼ pounds Yellow onion (1 small or 1/2 large), peeled & quartered
¼ pounds Fennel bulb, trimmed and pared with a potato peeler
3 Cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 tablespoons Olive oil
1 pounds Canned tomatoes with thick puree
1 tablespoon Cornstarch
2 cups Chicken broth
1 teaspoon Coarse (kosher) salt
1½ tablespoon Freshly squeezed lemon juice
Fresh basil leaves, washed and shredded, to taste

Directions

Coarsely chop the carrots, onion, fennel and garlic in a food processor. Place the vegetables in a microwavable 2½-quart ceramic or glass souffle dish. Add the oil and stir to mix well. Microcook, uncovered, on High (100% power) for 4 minutes.

Meanwhile puree the tomatoes, with juices, in a food processor or a blender. Dissolve the cornstarch in the chicken broth. Add the pureed tomatoes and the cornstarch mixture to the vegetables. Cover thightly with polyvinyl plastic wrap and microcook on High for 7 minutes. Carefully pierce the plastic wrap with a knife to release the steam, then remove the wrap. Season the soup with the slat, lemon juice and shredded basil (if using). Serve the soup hot or cold.

Low-Wattage Variation: Cook the vegetables and oil for 6 minutes.

Cook the soup, covered, for 10 minutes. Finish as above.

Makes 4 cups.

[Microwave Cooking; Barbara Kafka] [The New York Times; April 6, 1988] Posted by Fred Peters.

Related recipes