This Heirloom Tomato soup is honestly the best soup I have ever eaten.  I kicked your average tomato soup up a notch by adding Heirlooms to the Hothouse Tomato bunch and ended up with an addicting soup that has already got me planning my next batch of it.

Soup that you dream about all the next day,  knowing it’s in your fridge and just waiting to be dunked into by a rustic grilled cheese sandwich.

Heirloom Tomato Soup for Blood Sucking Vampires!
 Serves 5-6 bowls
3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 cloves minced garlic
1-2 Large Heirloom Tomatoes, chopped (not peeled)
4 medium-large vine ripened tomatoes, chopped (not peeled)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves,
3-4 cups “no chicken” vegetarian broth or chicken broth
2 t. sea salt or to taste
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup half and half or whole milk
Toasted grilled cheese points for serving along side
Possible toppings: nonfat Greek yogurt, dolloped or put in a pastry bag, fitted with a small, round tip and swirled on; chopped fresh basil, grated cheddar if you are not serving with grilled cheese, grated gruyere on a crouton on top of soup.
*Add a few drops of red food coloring if you want your soup “red” for “vampire blood”.

For the Soup: Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed stock pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and carrots and saute for about 10 minutes until very tender.  You want the onions to be carmelized. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste, basil, stock, salt, and pepper and stir well. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to break down and are very soft.