Tomato Basil to Rule Them All

Last night I had one of those cravings. I've been having a lot lately, with shrimp, calzones, et cetera, but this one was no ordinary craving.

Tomato Basil Soup.

But not just any tomato basil soup, but the one you only get from La Madeline. This, my friends, is one of the best soups you will ever have. I couldn't get to La Madeline last night, so I pulled a Progresso off the shelf to tide me over until I can. It wasn't bad, good enough to tide you over for when you can't get there, but it's no La Madeline.

I'm going tomorrow. No doubt about it. But I thought I'd post the recipe here on my blog:

La Madeline's Tomato Basil Soup

4 cups Tomatoes (8-10) -- peeled, cored and chopped

Or

4 cups Canned whole tomatoes -- Crushed

12 Fresh basil leaves -- Washed

1 cup Heavy cream

1/4 lb Sweet unsalted butter, salt to taste

1/4 teaspoon Cracked black pepper -- Cracked

Combine tomatoes, juice and/or stock in saucepan. Simmer 30 minutes. Puree, along with the basil leaves, in small batches, in blender or food processor. Return to saucepan and add cream and butter, while stirring, over low heat. Garnish with basil leaves and serve with your favorite bread.