Tomato Soup With Basil

Ingredients: 

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 link sweet or DiMaggio’s Italian sausage, removed from the casing and crumbled
• 1 large leek, white and pale green parts only, well rinsed and thinly sliced
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 medium rib celery, thinly sliced
• 1 cup chopped yellow onions
• Pinch of two of sugar
• 2 lbs fresh, ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 3 cups beef broth
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 6 Tbsp finely chopped fresh basil leaves
• Tabasco Hot sauce to taste (optional)

Steps: 

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Ad the sausage and cook, stirring, until it is browned, about 10 minutes. Add the leek, garlic, celery and onions and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Add the sugar, tomatoes and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook until the mixture thickens, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for about 10 minutes. Puree the soup in batches in a food processor or blender. Return it to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Heat the soup over medium heat. Add the lemon juice, four Tbsp of the basil and the hot sauce, if you wish. When the soup has heated through, about five minutes, serve garnished with the remaining basil. Makes 6 servings.