The classic soup from Le Crocodile in Vancouver. Thermos appropriate for a winter picnic. We add a little rosemary for wintry goodness.
Gin Tomato Soup with Rosemary
The alcohol in the gin cooks out, leaving a subtle hint of wintery juniper flavour. Creamy or brothy soups are best in a thermos. Adapted from the original Le Crocodile recipe; we use canned tomatoes instead of fresh.
| 1 | medium onion, chopped |
| 2 T | butter |
| 2 lg | canned tomato |
| 1 | potato, cut into chunks |
| 4 c | chicken broth |
| 2 T | tomato paste |
| 2 | bay leaves |
| sprig | rosemary |
| kosher salt and fresh-ground black pepper | |
| ½ c | cream or milk (or to taste) |
| ½ c | gin |
| dash | nutmeg |
In a large saucepan, sauté the onion in butter until soft and translucent. Add the tomatoes, potato, chicken broth, tomato paste, bay leaves, rosemary sprig, salt and pepper and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes. Remove the herbs. Purée the mixture with an immersion blender or food processor, then put through a strainer to make it silky smooth. Return the strained mixture to the saucepan and stir in the cream and gin. Add the nutmeg and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Pour into a thermos to keep soup warm for your winter picnic.
Makes 6-8 servings.