Soups Recipe

Prep

Peel and dice potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes. Chop tomatoes and dice the onion. Mince garlic. Shred cheddar and slice green onions. Cook and crumble bacon; reserve some for garnish.

Sauté aromatics and potatoes

In a large pot over medium heat, heat olive oil and butter until shimmering. Add diced onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until softened and translucent, about 6–8 minutes. Add minced garlic and smoked paprika; cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add diced potatoes and stir to coat for 2 minutes.

Simmer with tomatoes and stock

Add chopped tomatoes and 4 cups of stock to the pot. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until potatoes are tender, 15–20 minutes.

Blend and finish

Remove bay or thyme if used (not used in this recipe). Use an immersion blender to purée soup to desired consistency, leaving some chunk for texture, or transfer in batches to a blender (be careful with hot liquid). Return to low heat, stir in heavy cream and fresh basil (reserve a small amount of basil for garnish). Warm gently—do not boil. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and lemon juice if using.

Serve

Ladle soup into cups or bowls. Top each serving with shredded cheddar, a sprinkle of crumbled bacon, sliced green onions, and a few basil ribbons. For a richer finish, drizzle a teaspoon of olive oil or a small dollop of cream on top.

Slice and caramelize onions

In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt butter with olive oil over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced onions and a 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. Stir to combine and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are deep golden brown and caramelized, 35–45 minutes. If the onions begin to stick, add a tablespoon of water to deglaze the pan and continue cooking.

Deglaze and simmer

Add minced garlic and cook 30 seconds. Pour in the white wine or sherry, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Let the wine reduce by half, about 2–3 minutes. Add the beef stock, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 20–25 minutes to meld flavors. Adjust seasoning to taste and remove the bay leaf and thyme stems if used.

Assemble and gratinate

Preheat the broiler. Ladle hot soup into ovenproof bowls, leaving about 1/2 inch headspace. Arrange 1–2 toasted baguette slices on top of each bowl, then pile a generous handful of grated Gruyère over the bread covering the edges. Place bowls on a baking sheet and broil 2–4 minutes, watching closely, until the cheese is bubbly and deeply golden brown.

Serve

Carefully remove the hot bowls from the oven (use mitts). Let rest 1–2 minutes, then serve immediately. Provide a spoon and caution that the bowls will be hot.