Tomato Orange Soup

A favorite of mine: Elephants Delicatessen. Not only is this deli a landmark, but it is a creative and upscale place to get lunch among the swanky not-so-hipstery Portland population. If you still haven’t been and live within 20 miles, I urge you to hop on your bike and pedal to the metal over. Try the wasabi salmon or the Willamette Valley salad with grapes and candied nuts, and you won’t be disappointed.

More importantly, my staple when I make it to Elephants is a tangy and sweet version of a creamy tomato soup best enjoyed with a grilled cheese: tomato orange soup. If you think tomato soup is boring (like me), this is the recipe for you. Now that I can make this, maybe I can try other things when I visit the deli. I cannot emphasize how tasty and easy this soup is- you just have to try it for yourself!

Tomato Orange Soup (serves 8)

• 1 stick butter
• 1 onion
• 5 c canned tomatoes (I used crushed)
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 4 c orange juice (fresh is better!)
• 1 c milk (I used 1%, Elephants uses cream)

Dice your onion. Add it to a soup pot with the stick of butter and cook on medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent.

Add the tomatoes, thyme, salt, and pepper to the pot. Simmer on low heat for 30 minutes.

Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the orange juice and milk. If you used diced tomatoes, you may want to blend the tomatoes with an immersion blender or in batches in a normal blender to get a smooth consistency. Serve with something to sop up every last bite- some challah is ideal here.

Time to eat more of this soup (I can never get tired of it!),

Marisa