Easy Tomato Soup

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, yellow or white, diced
• 4 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly cracked pepper
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 can crushed or diced tomatoes
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 4 cups low sodium chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Directions

1. Set a Dutch oven over medium heat and add the butter. When it begins to foam, stir in the onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the onion and garlic are soft and smell wonderful, about 7 minutes.
2. Sprinkle in the flour and stir it into a paste. Keep stirring and scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon until the flour turns light brown, 5-7 minutes. You’re looking for a golden onion mixture with a little bit of brown caramelization.
3. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken stock, and sugar, and stir everything together. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil over medium high heat, then lower the heat to medium and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes.
4. Purée the soup with an immersion blender. If you’re using a countertop blender instead, fill it less than halfway with the hot soup, take out the center lid insert so the steam can escape, cover the opening with a folded kitchen towel, and hold your hand over the top while you blend. Repeat until all the soup is smooth.
5. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with freshly cracked pepper, slivered basil, and of course, grilled cheese sandwiches.