Tomato Soup with Puff Pastry

With Valentines coming up, some of us may be looking for something special to cook. I got this recipe from Cori about 25 years ago when she and my brother had us over for a fancy New Year’s Eve Dinner. I must say I was very impressed . . . she had little menus on the table and gone all out in her preparations. This soup can be dressed up for an appetizer or served as a main meal with French Bread. Over the years this soup (minus the puff), with some home made bread, has somehow also become the first thing I think about taking to someone who needs a meal.

Soup Ingredients:
2 Tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped very fine
1/2 green pepper, chopped fine
1/2 cup celery, chopped fine
1 tsp basil
1 tsp dill weed
28 oz canned whole tomatoes
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
pepper, to taste
2 cups chicken stock (1 Knorr chicken bouillon cube + 2 cups water)

White Sauce:
¼ cup butter
¼ cup flour
2 cups milk

Blend tomatoes in blender until just blended. (Do not substitute whole tomatoes for pre-blended) Heat first 6 ingredients in large pot until onion softens. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, salt and pepper; simmer 10 minutes. Add chicken stock; simmer 20 min.
In a small pot, melt butter, using whisk, blend in flour and milk to make a white sauce. Stir sauce into tomato soup. Serves 4 – 6

To serve with puff pastry:
Cool soup slightly, refrigerate until ready to use.
Divide among 4 -6 onion soup bowls, leaving 1 inch from top.
Roll out 1 -2 pkgs (14 oz each - 397 g) thawed frozen puff pastry to 1/8" thick. (I used 1 pkg. for 6 bowls, but I had to combine the scraps and re-roll – it worked fine) Cut rounds out, about 6 inches in diameter – slightly larger than tops of bowls. Cut a few slits to allow steam to vent. Press to outside of bowl, but not to rim. Chill 1 hour. Brush with 1 whisked egg. (optional) Bake on lower 1/3 of oven, at 400 F, 15 – 20 min. Watch that the pastry doesn’t brown too quickly.