What I'm cooking now: Soup

This is a Thomas Keller recipe for tomato soup. I still have a lot of love for that famous canned tomato soup, served with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of chives. This is better.

Tomato soup

(serves 4)
2 tbsp  olive oil
½  carrot, finely chopped
½  Spanish onion, finely chopped
2   garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1   shallot, finely chopped
Pinch of chilli flakes
28 oz  can of San Marzano tomatoes
1   bouquet garni (1 bay leaf, 1 thyme sprig, 1 tarragon sprig and 2 black peppercorns.)                 
2 tbsp       crème fraîche

1. Heat olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat, add carrot, onion, garlic and shallot, stirring occasionally until soft (7-10 minutes).

2. Add chilli flakes, tomato and bouquet garni. Simmer, stirring occasionally until warmed through (10-15 minutes).

3. Remove from heat, discard bouquet garni, process soup in a blender until smooth. Stir through crème fraîche, add water if soup is too thick. Pass through a fine sieve, season to taste and keep warm.