The Kitchen, one of my very favorite restaurants in Boulder, is everything that’s right with the world. The space is warm and welcoming. Their food is outrageously, ridiculously delicious. They highlight local & organic farms, farmers, and Colorado ranchers. They’re committed to sustainability, financially generous to their community, and environmentally conscious to the point where the restaurant’s leftover cooking oil is used to fuel the car of one the servers.
And.
They make the world’s greatest tomato soup. Enjoy.
THE KITCHEN’S TOMATO SOUP (serves 8-10, or 2 very lucky people who will eat this for lunch & dinner for 2 days straight. Ahem.)
– 1 & 1/3 sticks unsalted butter.
– 1 large vidalia onion, sliced into half-moons
– 3 16-oz. cans whole peeled organic tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
– 1/3 cup heavy cream
– Good quality EVOO or Basil Oil, for finishing
– Kosher salt
1. In a large saucepan (or, better, a Le Creuset dutch oven, which I use for just about everything), melt butter over low heat. Add the half-moons of onions and stir to coat with the butter. Add a good pinch of salt to help them “sweat”, not brown, and stir to incorporate that. Reduce heat to lowest possible setting, cover, and cook for approx. 30 minutes or so, until the onions are translucent. Stir occasionally during the 30 minutes these are cooking.
2. When onions are soft, add the tomatoes & their juices. Increase heat a little bit – to a simmer – and gently cook these for another 30 minutes.
3. Add cream, stir to combine. Then, with an Immersion Blender – I’m amazed by how much I use this in cooking – puree the soup until the texture is smooth but still has a little texture to it. Taste, adjust seasonings, and taste again.
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| pre-stirred, pre-blended |