Photo by Kelly Marshall
Editor’s note: Lexington writer, professor and former Poet Laureate of Kentucky Crystal Wilkinson recently published her first cookbook, “Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes From Five Generations of Black Country Cooks,” which features 40 family recipes presented in a style that is part memoir, part cookbook.
Recipe yields 6-8 servings (about 8 cups or 2 quarts)
Ingredients:
• 4 tablespoons (½ stick) salted butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• About 2½ pounds (4 large) ripe tomatoes, cored and chopped to equal 6 to 7 cups
• 4 cups (1 quart) chicken broth, homemade or store-bought (I like Pacific Organic brand)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• Table salt and freshly ground black pepper
• A few fresh basil leaves, stacked and rolled, then cut crosswise into thin ribbons (optional)
Directions:
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add the tomatoes and their juices and pour in the chicken broth, stirring to combine. Cook uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring a few times until the tomatoes are tender.
Use an immersion (stick) blender to puree the mixture until smooth. (Alternatively, puree the soup in batches in a blender with its center lid removed. To help avoid any splashing, start pureeing slowly, or cover the top loosely with a towel. Return the soup to the pot.) Continue to cook until the soup is hot and bubbling.
In a liquid measuring cup, stir the flour into the heavy whipping cream until well blended and no traces of any flour remain. Gradually add cream to the pot, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Cook just long enough to reach your desired soup consistency (it will thicken as you go). Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
If desired, add the basil to taste just before serving.
The recipe was reprinted with permission from "Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks" by Crystal Wilkinson, copyright 2024. The book was published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House.’
Crystal Wilkinson author of Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks. Photo by Emily Giancarlo