Chilled Tomato Tarragon Soup With Croutons Recipes

CHILLED TOMATO-TARRAGON SOUP WITH CROUTONS

Steps:

• Mix 1/4 cup oil and 4 tablespoons tarragon in bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Brush over both sides of bread. Toast bread in large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer croutons to plate.
• Meanwhile, heat 1/4 cup oil in another large skillet over medium heat. Add 4 cups tomatoes, next 3 ingredients, and 3 tablespoons tarragon. Sauté until vegetables just begin to soften, about 6 minutes. Stir in tomato paste. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover; cook until tomatoes and shallots are soft, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
• Strain soup into bowl, pressing with rubber spatula to extract as much of the juice and solids as possible. Discard solids in sieve. Season soup with salt and pepper.
• Freeze soup just until cold, about 30 minutes. Ladle into bowls. Top with croutons; sprinkle with 1/4 cup chopped tomatoes.

ROASTED TOMATO SOUP WITH CROUTONS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• Prepare the tomatoes. In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, 1/4 cup of the oil, the vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper, to taste. Spread the tomatoes out on a non-reactive baking sheet. Roast the tomatoes in the oven until very dark in spots, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove and allow to cool a bit.
• Prepare the bruschetta. Cut the bread crosswise into slices about 1-inch thick (you will need 8 slices). Lightly brush the slices on both sides with oil and season with salt. Place the slices on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until the bruschetta are golden brown and just beginning to crisp, about 6 minutes.
• In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine remaining 1/4 cup oil, the onions, and a pinch of salt. Cook until the onions are very soft, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the 2 cups basil leaves and saute with the onions for about 1 minute.
• Add the roasted tomatoes and water to the saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Puree the tomato mixture in a blender. Start the motor at a slow speed and increase gradually. Alternatively you can use an immersion blender right in the pot. The mixture should be very smooth. You should have about 8 cups. You can prepare the soup to this point and refrigerate it. When ready to serve, pour the soup into a medium saucepan and bring it to a slow simmer over medium heat.
• Serve the soup. Place 1 bruschetta in the center of each shallow soup bowl. Pour the soup around each bruschetta. Garnish with torn basil leaves.

CHILLED ROASTED TOMATO SOUP WITH TARRAGON

Steps:

• Rub tomatoes and red peppers with 1 teaspoons of the oil; roast on a greased, foil lined baking sheet in a 450°F oven for about 40 minutes, turning every 10 minutes, or until blistered and blackened. Let cool enough to handle. Reserving pulp and juices, peel off skins. Discard seeds from the peppers. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat remaining oil over meduim heat; fry onion, carrots and fennel, stirring occassionally, for about 10 minutes or until softened.
• Stir in vegetable stock, 1 cup water, salt and pepper. Tie 4 springs of tarragon together with string; add to soup. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Stir in tomato and red pepper pulp and juices; simmer for 5 minutes. Let cool. Discard tarragon bundle.
• In batches in blender or food processor puree soup until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, whisk in buttermilk. Cover and refrigerate for about 4 hours or until cold.
• Ladle into bowls. Chop remaining tarragon; sprinkle over soup for garnish.

ROASTED-TOMATO AND TARRAGON SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss together tomatoes, onions, garlic and oil; season with salt and pepper. Arrange vegetables in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until tomatoes are deep brown in spots and onions are soft, 45 minutes.
• Transfer vegetables and all juices to a large dutch oven or heavy pot. Add chicken broth and bring to a rapid simmer. Cook until slightly reduced, about 25 minutes.
• Transfer soup to a large bowl. In batches, fill blender halfway with soup, puree until smooth, transferring to pot as you work (use caution when blending hot liquids). Stir in tarragon and season with salt and pepper. If necessary thin with additional chicken broth. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil.

CHILLED TARRAGON TOMATO SOUP WITH VEGETABLE CONFETTI

Steps:

• Chop tomatoes and in a food processor purée with vinegar, sugar, and lemon juice until smooth. Pour purée through a sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on solids. Discard solids. Stir in ice water and salt and pepper to taste. Soup may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Reseason soup before serving.
• Stir tarragon into soup and thinly slice cherry tomatoes.
• Serve soup sprinkled with tomatoes, zucchini, and onion, and with toasts on the side.