Fresh Tomato Velouté Soup

 A great way to  use up some of the last tomatoes from your garden, and it has a nice fall flavor with the cloves.  I only used the hot pepper flakes, not the cayenne pepper.  Delish!

Fresh Tomato Velouté Soup

Serves: 4-6 people Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

    1 tbsp (20g) unsalted butter
    1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
    3 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
    4 cups (800g) ripe tomatoes, diced
    ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
    4 cloves
    ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
    ¼ tsp hot pepper flakes (optional)
    2 cups (500ml) stock (vegetable or chicken)
    2 tbsp(40g)  unsalted butter
    2 tbsp all-purpose flour
    ½ tsp salt, or to taste
    1 tbsp honey, or to taste

Crème fraiche or heavy cream, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1 - In heavy bottom pot, over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. When the butter is foaming, add the onion and garlic. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent but not caramelized yet. Add the diced tomatoes, black pepper, cloves, cayenne pepper (optional), hot pepper flakes (optional) and stock (vegetable or chicken). Stir and bring to a gentle boil. Cover with a lid, turn the heat to medium-low and gently boil for 20 minutes.

Step 2 - After 20 minutes, remove the cloves and discard.  Carefully pour the soup into a large bowl, using a rubber spatula to get as much of the soup from the pot as you can.  Purée the soup until smooth, using a food mill, immersion hand blender or working in batches using a regular blender.  Set aside.

Step 3 - Place the empty pot back onto the stove top, over medium heat. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Sprinkle with the flour and cook for 1 minute stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until a thick paste forms (a roux) that leaves the edges of the pan clean. Switch to a whisk, and start adding the soup slowly, and whisking well to avoid any lumps.

Step 4 - Once all the soup is back into the pot and smooth, season with salt and stir in 1 tablespoon of honey. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed, with more salt and/or honey.

For serving, pour the soup into bowls and top with a dollop of crème fraiche or heavy cream.

Optional: Garnish with fresh herbs (ie. parsley or basil) or micro-greens (as pictured).

https://www.pardonyourfrench.com/fresh-tomato-veloute-soup/