Ingredients
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 medium leek, cleaned, white part only, fin, ely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 medium celery stalk, finely chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil leaves
4 ripe medium tomatoes, seeded, coars, ely chopped
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp flour
2 1/2 cup chicken stock or broth
1/2 cup light cream
1 salt and pepper to taste
1 fresh basil leaves (optional)
1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt (optiona, l)
Directions
Heat butter and oil in a 2 quart saucepan; add onion, leek,
carrot,celery, and basil; saute for about 5 minutes over low heat,
stirring occasionally.
Add tomatoes and tomato paste; cook for about 5 minutes;sprinkle with
flour and mix well; add chicken stock, cover and simeer for about 20
minutes.
Pour into food processor fitted with a steel blade or into blender;
puree, strain through a fine strainer or cheesecloth. Return to pan
and add light cream; bring to boil and reduce heat to simmer for
about 2 minutes; season to taste with salt and pepper; chill for at
least 4 hours or up to 2 days in advance of serving. Garnish bowls
with basil leaves and a dollop of sour cream or yogurt if desired.
Makes 4-6 servings.
Origin: Appeal (quarterly publication from Overwaitea Foods) Shared
by: Sharon Stevens.
Servings: 4 servings
Chilled Tomato Basil Soup Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Soup; Tomato
The History of Recipes
It is possible to read the history of written recipes way back into the distant past, certainly as far back into recorded history as the Egyptians, and maybe even further. Having said that, generally, these ancient records were just basic hieroglyphic or cunieform instructions for meal preparation.
The truth of the matter is, the oldest recipe discovered so far, according to Professor Solomon Katz, is a collection of tablets in the Sumerian language which describe the making of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as making drinkers feel exhilarated and blissful. Later on, in The time of the roman empire 25BC a man called Apicius assembled a few documents detailing recipes prepared by the Romans. In his scrolls, he recounts how the meals were split into hors d`oeuvre, main course and afters, known in latin as `Gustatio, Primae Mensae and Secundae Mensae`. Additionally, he tells us how the ancient cooks made use of a wide range of spices, including some that we all recognise for example basil, rue and asafoetida. Later, in the fifteenth century, the Crusaders brought back a variety of foods, spices and herbs from middle-east cuisine, including spices such as basil and rosemary. These new foods and spices caused a torrent in manuscripts on food, some of which still exist in private libraries. By the time we get to the 1900s, recipe books are highly popular due to higher levels of literacy, increased leisure time and being a little richer. The arrival of television brought us TV cooks and the spin-off recipe books. Which pretty much brings us up to date and the invention of computers and the internet, allowing us all to search through thousands of recipes just like those on this recipe site. |
We hope you enjoy this Chilled Tomato Basil Soup recipe.
