Secret Ingredient

     I've had one recipe in my file for several years.  And so last weekend I finally had the opportunity to try it out after purchasing a dozen ripe tomatoes at the Green Dragon Market in Ephrata, PA on Friday.  The recipe was graciously given to me by another gourmande, Sue Bond, and it is for her "Fresh Tomato-Dill Soup."

     With my newly acquired sense of freedom with recipes I did vary a bit from the printed script, substituting Vadalia onions for leeks, and also peeling and coring the tomatoes.  I also increased the amounts of the other ingredients to compensate for the extra tomatoes I had on hand.  But I was intrigued by one "secret ingredient" that was listed.  Who would have thought to include condensed cream of mushroom soup in tomato soup?  But it worked and gave an added depth to the flavor.  It was a decided hit with my executive soup taster, Al Novack.  Here's the recipe:

Fresh Tomato-Dill Soup

 

4 Tbsp butter                                            dash of pepper

1 cup sliced leek                                       2 cups milk

3 cloves finely chopped garlic              2 cans cream of mushroom soup

6 cups chopped tomatoes                     4 Tbsp (plus) chopped fresh dill

4 tsp sugar                                                dill sprigs for garnish

 

     Melt butter in pan until sizzling; add leek and garlic.  Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until leek is softened (3 to 5 minutes).  Stir in tomatoes, sugar and pepper.  Continue cooking until mixture comes to a boil (5 to 7 minutes).  Reduce heat to low.  Cover; cook until tomatoes are tender (8 to 10 minutes).  Increase heat to medium.  Add milk and soup.  Cook until soup is heated through (3 to 5 minutes).  Stir in chopped dill.  Garnish with fresh dill sprigs, if desired.