Burst of flavour
Homemade soup combines tomato with smoked cheese
Homemade soups are a great way to experiment with flavour combinations.
Potatoes, leeks and cream become Vichyssoise. Tomatoes, cucumber, sweet peppers and olive oil become gazpacho. Caramelized onion, bread and Gruyère cheese become French onion soup.
Here’s a new one to add to your list: Tomato and smoked cheddar cheese.
I was in the grocery store to buy ingredients for the cream of tomato soup I was planning to make, and walked by the cheese aisle. A package of applewood smoked cheddar caught my eye. “That would work,” I thought.
It worked wonderfully. The cheese melts beautifully into the brew, and the savoury smoky taste is in delicious contrast to the tomato. The resulting soup also has enough cheese and milk in it to be an excellent source of calcium and protein.
Homemade soups are fun to make, and relatively stress-free. I like them because mistakes are easy to fix and there are usually no timing issues to worry about, such as with grilled foods.
Family and friends have given this soup rave reviews, so I hope you try and enjoy it.
Cream of tomato soup with smoked cheddar cheese
1 small onion
30 ml (2 tablespoons) butter
30 ml (2 tablespoons) flour
250 ml (1 cup) milk
250 ml (1 cup) grated smoked cheddar cheese
250 ml (1 cup) puréed strained tomatoes (from a can or a glass jar)
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh basil for garnish
Chop the onion finely. Fry the onion in the butter on medium-low heat.
When onion is transparent and lightly browned at the edges, after about 10 minutes of cooking, stir in the flour and cook the mixture to a light gold.
Pour in the milk, little by little, while you stir the mixture to blend the milk with the flour mixture. It should be smooth with no lumps. (If there are lumps, press the mixture through a sieve or process in a blender.)
Bring the milk-flour mixture to a gentle boil to allow it to thicken.
Add the grated cheese, still stirring.
Pour in the strained tomatoes and stir.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. If the mixture is too thick, add a little water or more milk.
When ready to serve, tear pieces of fresh basil leaf and drop onto the soup.
Makes two servings.