A few years back, we were closed on Sunday. People kept turnin’ up anyway, so we gave in and opened with a limited menu. We created this soup just for that day. It has a good Sunday vibe.

　　

Ingredients

feeds 6 to 8

　　1/4 cup butter

　　2 tablespoons olive oil

　　1 1/4 cups chopped onion

　　1 cup chopped green pepper

　　Pinch each kosher salt and black pepper

　　1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic

　　2 tablespoons flour

　　4 cups chicken broth or stock (to make your own, see page 168)

　　1 bulb Roasted Garlic (page 170)

　　1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes

　　1 bay leaf

　　1 cup heavy cream

　　1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

　　Tabasco sauce

　　2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

　　20 fresh basil leaves, chopped

　　

Step 1

Drop 2 tablespoons of the butter into a soup kettle along with the olive oil. Melt them together over medium-high heat and add the onions and peppers; season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Once they’re soft, toss in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Sprinkle on the flour and stir it in well; then pour in the broth and mix.

　　

Step 2

Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins into a small bowl and mash to a paste. Stir the paste into the soup and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil again, cover the pot, and drop the heat back down to low. Simmer for 15 minutes, til heated through. Remove the bay leaf and pour in the cream. Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano and zip up the taste with a generous amount of Tabasco. Now stir in the lemon juice, the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, and half of the chopped basil.

　　

Step 3

Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle the rest of the basil on top.

　　Dinosaur Bar-B-QueTen Speed Press