You will need:
5 carrots peeled and chopped ( this I have changed up a bit a friend of mine told me the carrots are used to take out the acidity of the tomato so I have added a few more carrots depending on there size. I would say fit it to your families liking :)
1 Large yellow onion chopped (once again I would say fit this to your families liking we LOVE onion but dont change it too much maybe a half onion more or less)
1 Tablespoon Dried Basil ( I have also stopped measuring this... I just sprinkle till I think it is enough)
3 cans 28 ounces each whole italian style tomatoes ( Now this I could not find the first time I cooked this recipe so I just did plain when I went to make it a second time I used italian style to be honest I think that the Nordstrom Cafe uses plain too because it was my first batch that tasted closest to the Cafe. Not to mention my family likes it better with the plain. The italian style seemed to make it a lot sweeter)
1 can 14.5 oz low sodium chicken broth ( if you buy your chicken broth in bulk like I do 14.5 0z measured out just about 2 cups)
2 cups Heavy whipping cream ( 2 of the smaller cartons or 1 of the medium cartons)
Kosher salt (to taste)
Freshly ground black pepper (if you do not have a pepper grinder regular black pepper will do. This is also to taste)
2 tablespoons lightly packed fresh basil leaves ( I have never added this part I think the kids would just set it aside and me and JT really dont care if it is pretty or not it is more for garnish so if you are cooking it for a dinner party I would say go for it!) oh and the book says to thinly slice the leaves into ribbons!
Ok so now this is how you turn all these ingredients into a soup!! arent you excited!!! :D I AM!!
In a 6 to 8 quart sauce pan over medium heat, warm the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan.
Add the carrots, onion, and dried basil and saute, stirring occasionally, until soft, 10 to 12 minutes. ( I always have to saute for longer then this if you do not soften the carrots enough it is hard to blend them at the end)
Add the tomatoes, including the puree or juice that they are in, and the broth then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes to blend the flavors.
Remove from heat. Puree the soup in the sauce pan using a wand type immersion blender or working in batches, puree the soup in a blender or food processor fitted with the metal blade.( I have got a rhythm down by splitting the soup into two batches I pour the first batch into the blender then pour the remaining soup that did not fit the first time into a large pitcher that way my pot is empty for the first batch to go into. I use to do smaller batches put them in a bowl once pureed and then all at once back in the pot needless to say wow I was doing dishes the rest of the night!Where if I use the pitcher it is smaller less mess and less dishes :D. I tried an immersion blender once and it left bigger chunks of carrots which my family did not like!)
Return the pureed soup to the saucepan, add the cream, and place over medium heat. Warm until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. ( be careful with the kosher salt if that is the type you choose a little goes a long way! so much more then table salt!!)
Laddle the soup into bowls, garnish with basil and serve. You can also serve this soup chilled during the summer. I am not personally into eating cold soup so I never do this but some people may like it especially if you are cooking it for an outside luncheon during the summer :)So there it is pretty simple once you get the hang of it and like I said I have changed up the basic recipe to fit my family and our taste buds so play around try it out and tell me how you like it! Bon A petit!
