Serves 8
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
2 TBL olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 cans diced tomatos or fresh equivalent
3 TBL tomato paste
8 cups chicken broth (I use Swansons low sodium)
salt to taste
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp sugar
1 cup cream - heavy or light. You can also use whole milk.
Heat 1/2 cup of the butter & the oil together in a large saucepan.
Add the onion, thyme, salt & pepper; cook until the onion is wilted. Add the tomatoes & the tomato paste; stir to blend. Simmer 10 minutes.
Add broth & simmer, stirring frequently for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat & cool.
Puree the mixture ensuring that all large chunks are incorporated. I use a stick-blender right in the same pan but alternatively you could use a blender or food processor. Strain the mixture through a metal colander (this will allow a certain amount of texture to remain). It is important that the mixture is cooled before the next step of adding the cream or the cream will 'cook' and the texture will be off.
Add sugar & cream to the strained mixture & simmer for 5 minutes.
Serve hot with a grilled cheese sandwich. My favorite is cheddar & provolone on unseeded Rye or sourdough.
