Tomato Soup with a Twist

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Level: Easy

Ingredients:

• 4 onions, sliced
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 stalks celery, sliced
• 8 tomatoes, diced
• 1 scant cup tomato paste
• 1 quart tomato juice
• 1 quart water
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 3 sprigs fresh basil
• 2 bay leaves
• Dash salt & pepper
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Nutmeg, to taste
• 4 tablespoons vodka
• 1 container Tnuva Quark Creamy Soft Cheese 9%

Instructions

1. Saute the onion in the olive oil until golden.
2. Add the garlic and celery and continue cooking for another 2 minutes.
3. Add the diced tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes.
4. Add the tomato paste and stir. Let cook for another 2 minutes.
5. Add the tomato juice and the water and bring to a boil. Add the thyme, basil and bay leaves. Let simmer for 40 minutes.
6. Add salt, pepper, sugar and nutmeg.
7. Let cool slightly. Remove the thyme and basil sprigs and the bay leaves. Blend with a hand blender or in a food processor.
8. Reheat the soup and add the vodka. Taste and correct seasoning.
9. Before serving, place the Tnuva Quark cheese in a pastry bag and pipe a spiral of cheese in the middle of each bowl.