One of my favorite old haunts – before the big C – was Norstrom Café.  I would always order a bowl of Tomato Basil Soup with two crostini.  I’d go there for lunch in West LA and then when I moved to the East Bay I would often pop into the Pleasanton Nordstrom Cafe for a quick dinner. I thought that part of my life was over, until I found the recipe online – and very easy to make.  It even freezes well (if you hold the cream).

So here it is – Tomato Basil Soup with a grilled cheese dipping sandwich – if you so desire.

The Tomato Basil Soup is from another blog: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/02/dinner-tonight-nordstroms-tomato-basil-soup-recipe.html?ref=search

 Ingredients

6 tablespoons olive oil

4 large carrots, peeled and diced

1 large onion, sliced

1 tablespoon dried basil, crushed

3 28-ounce cans tomatoes

1 quart chicken broth

1/4 cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

2 Slices GF Bread

Butter

½ cup Favorite cheese, grated (I use extra sharp cheddar)

1 Heirloom Tomato, sliced (Optional)

Instructions

Soup

In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add carrots and onion and cook until beginning to soften, 10 minutes, then add basil and cook until vegetables are completely soft, about 5 minutes more.

Add tomatoes and broth, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20-30 minutes, or up to 45 minutes if time permits.

After allowing soup to cool somewhat, purée in a blender or food processor until smooth, doing so in batches if necessary. For a much silkier texture, strain the purée before returning to the pot.

If you want to freeze some of the soup – this is the time to freeze the portion of the soup you want to save.  If you add the cream and freeze, it will defrost badly.

Stir in cream little by little over low heat, until desired texture is reached and soup is just heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve warm.

Sandwich

Heat a non-stick skillet

Butter both sides of the bread, front and back.

Place on slice of bread on the hot skillet.  Add the cheese and sliced tomato (avocado and bacon are also good additions), followed by the second slice of bread.

Flip and cook on the other side until melted.

Serve with the left over heirloom tomato slices (I added some salt and pepper).

Enjoy!