creamy tomato-basil soup with parmesan fricos

Imagine the flavor of grilled cheese and tomato soup—all in a single bowl. This super-easy soup is all about tomato flavor. And the fun little Parmesan Fricos add a cheesy crunch that takes the whole thing over the top. Some canned tomatoes are saltier than others, so start by adding the ½ teaspoon salt, then taste the soup and see if you think it needs more. Make sure you have prepared some Roasted Garlic Paste ahead of time.

Make this vegan by using plain soy milk instead of the regular milk and skipping the fricos.

One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

2 tablespoons Roasted Garlic Paste (Chapter 1: Soups)

15 to 20 large basil leaves, roughly torn

1½ cups milk

½ teaspoon salt (or more, to taste)

Freshly ground black pepper

Parmesan Fricos (recipe follows)

1. Combine the tomatoes, garlic paste, basil, and milk in a soup pot or a Dutch oven, and place it over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, and then immediately turn the heat to low and let the soup simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the soup cool for a few minutes.

2. Use a blender or immersion blender (see Chapter 1: Soups) to purée the soup until it is smooth.

3. Heat the soup gently over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it is hot but not boiling.

4. Season with the salt and black pepper to taste. Serve with Parmesan Fricos on the side.

GET YOUR FRICO ON

Once you master the simple technique of frico-making, you’ll find all kinds of uses for them. They’re great with soups, they’re a nice alternative to chips, and you can serve them with olives and salami and call it an antipasto platter. They also make a perfect garnish for Caesar Salad (Chapter 2: Salads) in addition to, or in place of, the traditional croutons. To make them, you’ll need the kind of grated Parmesan that’s shredded, not powdered. You can buy it pre-grated or make your own from a piece of cheese, using the medium holes of a grater. If you’re DIY-inclined, you might enjoy playing with different frico sizes and shapes. You can make them huge, or shape them by draping them inside cups, around a rolling pin, or whatever else you think of, as soon as they come out of the pan. As they cool, they’ll keep that shape, and then you can fill them with a little salad or just use them as an extra-cool garnish.

parmesan fricos

Makes 14 to 16 fricos

1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

1. Set a large skillet over medium heat. Drop 1-tablespoon heaps of Parmesan directly in the pan, and working fairly quickly, use the back of a spoon to spread each heap into a round of cheese about 3½ inches in diameter. (They should look lacy, with a bit of the pan showing through between the shreds.) Make sure to leave a little space in between fricos, so you’ll have room to get in there with your spatula.

2. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the underside is golden and stays stiff when prodded. When the top surface of the cheese goes from melty to somewhat dry looking, the fricos are ready to flip. Use a thin-bladed metal spatula to turn them over gently, and cook on the second side for about 2 minutes, or until golden and crisp all over. Transfer to a rack or platter to cool and finish crisping.

GET CREATIVE

• Drizzle some high-quality olive oil onto each serving.
• If you like your tomato soup a little on the sweet side, add 1 to 2 teaspoons honey or brown sugar before the final simmer.
• Garnish with additional minced fresh basil.
• This soup pairs well with Caesar Salad (Chapter 2: Salads).