This is one of those tomato soups that just about everyone will like. (This recipe is a conglomeration of several soups I found on the internet.) It has enough flavor to be interesting, but not so “nouveau cuisine” that anyone who grew up eating grilled cheese sandwiches dipped in Campbell’s Tomato Soup won’t feel a tug of nostalgia at the very sight of it. But there is a difference I can assure you. There is a tiny bite from the garlic and the crushed red pepper flakes, and the onion and carrot add a bit of texture. But what really sets your taste buds a tingling is the creamy sauce drizzled on top of the soup. It’s how I imagine a spring morning would taste – fresh, bright, and earthy. So give this wonderful soup a try. It is a perfect soup to serve every season of the year.

But since I am posting this recipe in early spring, I decided to share one of my favorite poems by William Wordsworth with you. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. (I also hope you enjoy the soup!)

A Spring Morning    

There was a roaring in the wind all night;
The rain came heavily and fell in floods;
But now the sun is rising calm and bright;
The birds are singing in the distant woods;
Over his own sweet voice the stockdove broods;
The jay makes answer as the magpie chatters;
And all the air is filled with pleasant noise of waters.

All things that love the sun are out of doors;
The sky rejoices in the morning’s birth;
The grass is bright with raindrops; – on the moor
The hare is running races in her mirth;
And with her feet she from the plashy earth
Raises a mist; that, glittering in the sun,
Runs with her all the way, wherever she doth run.

• ¼ c. butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, shredded
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ tsp. dried thyme
• ½ tsp. dried crushed red pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 T. chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• freshly  ground black pepper
• 1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes (Italian tomatoes preferably)
• 1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes (Italian tomatoes preferably)
• 2 T. tomato paste (you guessed it, Italian if possible)
• 3-4 c. chicken or vegetable stock (depending on how thick you like your soup)
• 1 c. heavy cream
• 1½ tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 4 tsp. finely grated lemon peel
• grilled cheese sandwiches, opt.

Melt the butter in a heavy large covered pan. Add the onion, carrot, garlic, thyme, crushed red pepper, bay leaf, parsley, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes or until onion is just starting to get tender. Add canned tomatoes, tomato paste, and chicken stock. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Adjust seasoning. Meanwhile whisk the heavy cream, rosemary, and lemon peel together. Ladle soup into bowls and drizzle cream mixture over top.