I didn't name the soup. It comes from James Peterson's book, Splendid Soups. I think calling any recipe "perfect" is like People magazine choosing one guy each year as the Sexiest Man Alive. Clearly, sexiness is all in the eye of the beholder, and unless your name is George Clooney, there is no such thing as the Sexiest Man Alive. (George, invite me to your villa in Italy--I'll make this soup.) This recipe may not be viewed as perfect to everyone, but it certainly comes close. It couldn't be easier to make, just freshly picked tomatoes, with a rich tarragon sauce drizzled on top. Tarragon may seem an odd choice for this soup. One would suppose that basil or oregano would be better But, tarragon's spicy, anise like flavor gives this soup a distinctive and unexpected flavor.
I was never a big fan of tarragon until I joined Weekend Herb Blogging, created by Kalyn. After reading Kalyn's posts about it, I gave it another try and wound up planting a tiny tarragon slip in a container in my backyard. It flourished there and I now enjoy using tarragon very much. See what can happen if you head over to Kalyn's site? Please go there and check out all the other herby bloggers.
This soup should only be made when you have access to freshly picked tomatoes. Since the tomatoes account for 99% of the ingredients, canned or store bought tomatoes won't give you the incredible flavor of vine ripened fruits. This is the recipe for your own tomatoes or lovely specimens from a farmer's market. The soup can be served hot or cold. We ate ours at room temperature, along with some toasted, buttered french bread. The sauce was made with heavy cream, but yogurt can be substituted. It really is almost perfect. The George Clooney of tomato soups.
Perfect Summer Tomato Soup With Tarragon Sauce (James Peterson, Splendid Soups)
The Soup
6 large or 10 medium sized tomatoes--4 to 5 pounds
1/2 Tablespoon salt (can be less)
pepper
The sauce
3 large tarragon sprigs
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup heavy cream or yogurt
salt
pepper
Plunge tomatoes into a large pot of boiling water for about 20 seconds, then put tomatoes in a colander in the sink. Run cold water on the tomatoes as you peel the skins off them and keep running water on them until they are cool. Slice tomatoes in half crosswise and gently squeeze the seeds out into a small bowl. Strain the liquid in a sieve to remove the seeds and set liquid aside. Discard the seeds.
Chop the tomatoes until they have the texture you want. My were a little chunky. Put the tomatoes in a glass or stainless steel bowl and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Add some of the tomato liquid if the soup is too thick.
Preparing the Sauce
Remove tarragon leaves from their stems and put them on a cutting board with the olive oil, which prevents them from turning black. Chop leaves coarsely and combine with the cream or yogurt. Let this sit for 20 minutes, to infuse the cream with the tarragon. Chill the soup if you're serving it cold.
Serving the soup.
Heat the soup if you want it hot. You can stir some of the the sauce into the soup and pass the rest for people to add to their portion. Or just serve the soup with the sauce on the side, which is what I did. I served ours cold along with toasted french bread.
Oh I love it. The George Clooney of tomato soups. If George invites you to his villa to make this soup, can I come along too? Maybe I can be your kitchen assistant of some kind. I was fully prepared not to like George any more after he left ER, and I think some of his film projects are a bit strange, but overall, his hotness ratio is as high as the projected temps for the weekend. (This from a woman who firmly believes that brains are the sexiest thing on a man.)
Posted by: kalyn | July 14, 2006 at 04:43 PM
If George invites you, I call dibs for being smuggled over in your luggage! The soup is so simple it sounds divine!
Posted by: Glenna | July 15, 2006 at 02:24 AM
I'm with you on the villa thing. I'm sure George could handle more than one soupmaker, so keep me in mind when the invite comes through. This looks delish. I grow tarragon too. Love it in chicken salad, and in potato salad.
Posted by: Lisa | July 15, 2006 at 04:44 AM
see how fickle you are? You were going to work on my farm and now you're running off with George. My dog, your husband and Upsie are going to be pissed. Nice soup though.
Posted by: steven | July 15, 2006 at 06:05 AM
lol, too funny!
i'll have to make this with my mom's beautiful tomatoes the next time i head upstate! (i'll simply call it the george clooney soup, she'll love that!)
Posted by: ann | July 15, 2006 at 08:17 AM
Except for Steven, it seems we are unanimous in insisting on accompanying you on your trip to George's Italian villa. And, I predict that this beautiful soup will hereafter be referred to as George Clooney soup - as it should be.
Great post, Sher!
Posted by: Christine | July 15, 2006 at 10:52 AM
Oh, stop it ladies. I'm busy this weekend, over at Cookiecrumb's place. ;)
Sher, your recipe is hilarious: It's not soup, it's a bowl of tomatoes with sauce on top. I love it!!
Posted by: George Clooney | July 15, 2006 at 02:59 PM
Kalyn,
I thought George's career took a dive after ER, but then I saw him in Brother, Where Art Thou? Sigh. That mustache, the hairnet and hair pomade. He made it work. Then I saw him giving interviews and he is very funny and charming. Then he bought the villa. That was it.
Glenna, Lisa, and Christine (and Kalyn),
It looks like there will be a gang of us visiting George. Maybe Brad will visit while we are there? I wonder if George is friends with Colin Firth? I've got to go splash water on my face.
Steven,
George is just a diversion. It goes without saying that I'm still going to live and work on your farm.
George!!!!
You can call that recipe anything you want! Hmmm, so you're busy at Cookiecrumb's house. Busy doing what.............?
Posted by: sher | July 15, 2006 at 03:14 PM
A bowl of color explosion !!!! Loved the photo.Thank you for the recipe.
Posted by: Archana | July 15, 2006 at 10:14 PM
I would love this soup! Lovely color! I will have to give it a try! I have a winter version for it, and I am a fan of tarragon!
Posted by: Bea at La Tartine Gourmande | July 16, 2006 at 04:28 AM
All you ladies can fight over George Clooney, please leave Brad for me? :)
The soup looks wonderfully fresh and am sure very tasty with the taragon on top. Incidentally, i've never had tarragon before :(
Posted by: Mae | July 17, 2006 at 12:55 AM
Archana,
Thank you, I do think that it better to fix fresh picked tomatoes in ways that preserve their color.
Bea,
It does taste good in the winter too--just heat it up!
Mae,
Tarragon has a slight anise like flavor. But, I think the dried tarragon is not very tasty. I prefer fresh, so I planted some.
Posted by: sher | July 17, 2006 at 05:09 PM
George Clooney soup -- looks and sounds great. Can you create a Johnny Depp soup, too??! LOL!
Posted by: Calendula & Concrete | July 20, 2006 at 05:48 PM
Calendula,
What a great question! Hmm, what would be a Johnny Depp Soup? Something yummy, of course. But, it would need to be kind of complex, and not your average soup by any means. He lives in France, maybe onion soup? Naw--that's too simple. This is going to be on my mind!
Posted by: sher | July 20, 2006 at 06:36 PM
But don't forget the "Martini" ;-)
Posted by: Ulrike aka ostwestwind | July 21, 2006 at 07:15 AM
I stumbled across your blog while I was doing some online research. Tarragon is actually one of my favorite herbs, but it does need to be used judiciously to get good results!
Posted by: panasianbiz | July 25, 2006 at 04:59 PM
panasianbiz,
You are so right about tarragon. A little goes a long way. You have a very informative blog, by the way!
Posted by: sher | July 26, 2006 at 12:31 AM
I stumbled upon this site as I was in the process of doing some online research. Never a fan of tarragon either - and I've traveled extensively and tried many combinations, but this looks/sounds mouth-watering - like chocolate almost.
Posted by: thebizofknowledge | August 29, 2006 at 07:52 PM