R E C I P E S

Carrot and Tomato Soup

By Edward Behr

Homage to the late-summer vegetable garden, the combination of carrot and tomato is excellent, with sweetness coming from one and sweetness plus acidity coming from the other. They need be only in rough balance. Using onion plus shallot in place of meat gives a rich flavor. As with most soups, you can stir in some rich cream, sweet or ripe, at the end of cooking or add a spoonful of crème fraîche to each bowl. If you add cream, use butter, not oil, to cook the vegetables.

1 pound (500 gr) ripe red tomatoes

1 onion, chopped

2 shallots, chopped

1 tablespoon excellent, fresh-tasting olive oil (not too bitter) or unsalted butter

½ pound (250 gr) carrots, peeled and sliced in rounds

½ cup (125 ml) water

2 branches parsley

salt and black pepper

chives, sliced very finely crosswise

crème fraîche for garnish, optional

Peel and chop the tomatoes, saving all the seed-filled juice. Cook them in their own liquid, nothing more, until they soften, just a few minutes, then pass them with their juice through a strainer to eliminate the seeds and any coarse flesh.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook the onion and shallots in the oil until translucent. Raise the heat, add the carrots, and sauté for several minutes to color them lightly. Add the strained tomato and the water and bring to a boil. Add the parsley and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender. Fish out the parsley. Cool for 5 minutes so that the liquid doesn’t burst out of the food processor when you turn it on.

Purée the soup in a food mill, blender, or food processor, season with salt and pepper, and reheat it in its pot. Put the thick soup into a heated tureen or heated individual bowls, sprinkling the top generously with chives and, if you want, passing crème fraîche at the table. Serves 4 as a small first course or 2 to 3 as a larger course.