Nordstrom Cafe Tomato Soup

There is nothing more comforting than a hot bowl of delicious tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. The question is....what's more important? Is it the grilled cheese or the tomato soup? We could start a national debate with this topic. Let's ask the presidential nominees what they think. Foreign policy or grilled cheese and tomato soup? It's a toss up who gets my vote (just kidding).

To me, it's all about the tomato soup. I can stand for an average grilled cheese but that tomato soup needs to be on point. If it's not then it's just not worth eating. But who I am kidding. They both need to be on point!

Here's the best tomato soup you will ever have. I have been trying to recreate the recipe from Nordstrom Cafe and after searching online, testing a few recipes, this is pretty darn close.

Shopping List:

3 28 oz cans of whole tomatoes

32 oz chicken stock (low sodium)

1 onion - diced

2 garlic cloves - minced

1 tbs dried basil

4 carrots - diced

2 tbs coconut oil or EVOO

1. In a dutch oven or large pot sautee the onion and carrots on medium-high until the onions are soft. Add the garlic and basil and cook for a couple of minutes.

Tip: I rub the basil in the palm of my hand over the pot to wake it up a bit. Cooking it for a couple minutes alongside the garlic helps release the oils in the dried herbs and in my opinion makes a big difference in taste (or so the cooking shows say).

2. Add the tomatoes and chicken stock. Cook for 45 to 60 minutes. Use an emulsion blender and puree away.

3. Cook another 60 minutes on medium-low to reduce the soup a bit.

4. Make a killer grilled cheese and enjoy!

This is a curl up on the sofa with a blanket in your sweats and watch a great movie kinda tomato soup. Just sayin'.