Tomato soup

Read through the recipe and gather the equipment. Use the ingredient lines to prepare and measure everything, and set the blender and a folded towel near the stove. Everything is prepared and measured before the pot goes on the heat.

Melt 3 tbsp unsalted butter with 1 tbsp olive oil in a 5- to 6-quart pot over medium heat until the butter foams. Add the onion, carrot and 1/4 tsp fine salt. Cook slowly, stirring now and then, until the vegetables are soft and translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Stir in the garlic until it smells fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste and keep stirring over medium heat until it darkens from bright red to brick red and starts to stick lightly to the bottom, about 2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes with their juice, about 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, the bay leaf, if using, 3–4 sprigs fresh basil and 1/4 tsp fine salt, scraping the bottom of the pot. Bring the soup to a simmer over medium-high heat, then turn to low heat so only a few lazy bubbles rise. Set the lid ajar and simmer, stirring now and then, until the tomatoes are completely soft, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Blend the soup off the heat. Turn off the burner and lift out the bay leaf and basil stems. Hold the immersion blender head under the surface and blend until smooth. With a stand blender instead, blend in batches with the jar no more than half full, the center cap removed and a folded towel over the opening, pouring each batch into the heatproof bowl before returning it all to the pot. The soup is completely smooth.

Set the pot over low heat and stir in the heavy cream, if using, until the soup steams; keep it below a boil from now on. Taste the soup with a clean spoon. Aim for ripe tomato, bright but round, with no sour sting. If it tastes flat, add fine salt to taste. If it still tastes sharp, stir in the sugar, if using, a little at a time. If it is thicker than you like, stir in low-sodium chicken broth to taste. Finish with black pepper to taste. The soup tastes bright and round.

Ladle the soup into warm bowls to make 4 servings. Tear fresh basil to taste over each bowl and finish with olive oil to taste. To reheat leftovers, warm them over medium-low heat, stirring and keeping a cream-finished soup below a boil, until the center reaches 165°F (74°C) on an instant-read thermometer. The soup is portioned and garnished.