The gelatinous slurp of condensed tomato soup sliding out of a can and into a pot was the sound of my first act of independence in the kitchen. I loved that the goopy lump slowly slumping in the pan was still vaguely can-shaped – the tin may have been Andy Warhol, but its contents were pure Salvador Dali.  Add one tin of milk (no low-class watered soup in our house) and stir over medium heat until, presto, lunch was “cooked”. I served it with a side of saltine crackers. Not bad for a nine-year-old.

Skip ahead more than fort…let’s just say a number of years…and the food snob in me has little use for tinned soup (skeet shooting?). But there’s still something special about a simple bowl of creamy tomato soup, especially when you make it yourself.

I serve this soup garnished with croutons and a little chopped fresh basil (if I happen to have some) and crusty bread on the side (or saltines, if no one is looking).

Tomato Soup

Serves four

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 28 ounce cans whole tomatoes in juice

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 cup whipping cream

1 1/2 tablespoon sugars

1 bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon celery seed

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano or 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large pan and sauté the onion until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds longer. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock,  bay leaf, red pepper flakes, celery seed, oregano, and sugar. Bring to a boil,  add cream and salt and pepper to taste, then lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes.