Tomato soup

• In a large pot over medium heat add your olive oil and shallot and sauté for about 2 minutes.
  1 shallot diced, 3 tablespoon olive oil
• Add ½ of your salt to sweat out the juices in the shallots.
• Now add your garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
  2 cloves of garlic diced
• Next, add your chicken stock and stir well.
  32 ounces good chicken stock
• Now add your canned tomatoes, basil, oregano and the rest of your salt and your pepper and mix well.
  2 28 ounce cans of whole peeled tomatoes, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 5 leaves of fresh basil, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• Let simmer for about 15 minutes.
• Now, carefully take a potato masher and mash done the large chunks of tomato. You can also do this with the back of a spoon.
• Do this until most of the tomatoes has been crushed up and there are no more large tomatoes left.
• Now, take half of your soup mixture then add it to a blender and secure the lid tightly. Take a kitchen towel and place it over the lid of your blender. Pulse on medium speed to puree the mixture. You may need to do this in 2 batches.
• Now add your pureed mixture back into the pot and mix it in with the soup that wasn't pureed.
• Now add your heavy cream and mix well.
  ½ cup heavy cream
• Taste for seasoning and add any salt or pepper that you need.
• Serve immediately with grilled cheese, homemade croutons or crusty bread. Garnish with fresh basil.