To be honest, I have not been a connoisseur of tomato soups or tomatoes period for too long, but I know enough to know what I like. Campbell's tomato soup…ugh no thanks. Panera Bread's tomato soup…getting better. My delicious tomato-ish creation…yum. Not to brag, but even my picky eating son dipped his grilled cheese right in and went to town.
My inspiration came from this great little Indian/Pizzeria place called Bombay Pizza we have here and I must say they have the best tomato soup. It's creamy and very Italian with Indian spice mixed in as well. The problem is I do not have the recipe and they only give you one slice of bread for dipping at the restaurant. No good. I need carbs to balance out my soups. So last night I had the urge to make an Indian feast. It was pretty good, but not good enough to post just yet. It did, however, make me think about Bombay's soup, and so I decided to give it a go. I wasn't going for an exact replica, but instead, a toned-down version with a little more consistency.
Before we get started, let me just mention that I wanted to add a little Indian kick to this soup, so I looked through my pantry and found a bag of Chaat Masala. Its an Indian spice that is pretty common in most grocery stores with a good Ethnic Food isle or you can get it at an Indian market. Im sure if you omit this ingredient it will not ruin your soup, but if you have or can get it, give it a try. For me it really put this soup over the top.
I decided the good ol' slow cooker would be the best tool for the job, but Im sure it would still be amazing simmered over the stove for an hour or two if you do not have one. First, I chopped and added the garlic, onion, and basil first. Then add the can of tomato sauce, broth, can of diced tomatoes, Marsala, and heavy cream. I let that cook in the slow cooker for about 1.5 hours on high, stirring occasionally.
After the first soak in the slow cooker, my taste tester (the Hubby) said it was "okay", to which I replied "its just the base, don't worry." I then messily scooped out everything in the crock pot and emptied it into my food processor. I have a big one, if you do not please do it in batches or you will have an even bigger mess. Im sure a blender would work fine as well. I blended everything together then added it back to the slow cooker. This is where I added my spices, butter, and cheese. I wanted it a little thicker so I stirred in a spoonful of flour as well (optional). I cooked it on low for another hour, and added some fresh parsley and more parmesan for garnish.
Like, I said I need carbs for my soups, so while all that slow cooker stuff was happening, I grilled me and the fam up some sharp cheddar and spinach paninis for dunking. The soup was freaking delicious. I had some left over I will definitely eat for lunch, but next time I will double the batch and freeze half of it. There it is. I hope you enjoy:)
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes
20 oz of tomato sauce (my big can was 29 oz so I eyeballed it)
1 cup of heavy cream
1 cup of chicken broth
3 tablespoons of Marsala cooking wine
6 cloves of garlic chopped
1/2 of an onion chopped
handful of fresh basil chopped
2 tbs of butter
1 1/2 tbs of Chaat Masala (optional)
1 tbs of flour (optional)
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 cup of grated parmesan cheese
parsley for garnish
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