Adapted from “Stir: Mixing It Up in the Italian Tradition,” by Barbara Lynch (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). Serves 6. Shown with grilled cheese sandwich.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, sliced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or more, to taste)
2 large cans plum tomatoes, about 28 ounces each
1/4 cup basil leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
GARNISH
6 tablespoons crème fraîche (optional)
Caraway seeds (optional)
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender, about 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes and 1 1/2 cups water and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Add the basil, season lightly with salt and pepper, and let cool briefly before pureeing the soup in a food processor or a blender, in batches if necessary. Pass the soup through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing on the solids with a ladle. (Save the pulp if you like; it’s great on crostini or baked eggplant.) Garnish with crème fraîche and caraway seeds and serve with croutons or grilled cheese sandwiches, above.
