There are a couple of ways you can serve this, some being healthier than the others. Serve it straight up all by it's self. Serve with a nice mixed green salad. Serve with some nice crusty bread or garlic bread. Or if you want to go all out, serve with a bacon grilled cheese sandwich. Let me just tell you, all of those flavors are completely awesome...proceed with caution.
1 32oz vegetable or chicken stock/broth
1/2 cup of sun dried tomatoes (not in oil)
Olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, grated or finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme or 1 tbsp dried thyme
Salt and pepper for seasoning
21 seasoning or no-salt Mrs. Dash for seasoning
1 cup vodka
1 28oz can of Italian styled crushed tomatoes
A few fresh basil leaves (chopped, but do not chop until you are ready to use, they will go brown if you chop too soon)
1 cup heavy cream
In a small sauce pan, bring 1 1/2 cups stock/broth and sun dried tomatoes to a low boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, drizzle in olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, garlic, bay leaf and season with salt, pepper and seasoning blend. Cook until onions begin to caramelize. Stirring occasionally. Add vodka and cook for about 5 minutes. Stirring occasionally. Add crushed tomatoes and continue to cook until thicken (about 15 minutes). Stirring occasionally. Add remaining 2 1/2 cups broth/stock the sun dried tomatoes and their liquid and the basil. Remove bay leaf. Puree with a immersion (hand) blender. Return to a slow simmer and stir in cream.
Serve in a soup bowl and garnish with chopped basil. Serve and ENJOY!
Wine pairing....sauvignon blanc.
