TOP CHEF HOSEA ROSENBERG'S SMOKEY TOMATO SOUP

Bravo TV has a
website that lists all the top chef recipes, lots of them. Season 5 winner, Hosea Rosenberg, is credited with this great tomato soup recipe. It was too complex for me to follow all of it -- not that I couldn't, I just didn't have the time. I left off the grits croutons, but I bet they were great. And I didn't do the cilantro oil -- instead I just garnished with cilantro.

I made other changes, according to my personal preferences: Instead of cream, I used fat-free half and half. I decided to roast the Roma tomatoes, to bring out more flavor. But instead of roasting the corn, I just used an ear of leftover corn, and scraped the kernels and milk off the cob. None of these changes could ruin this fantastic soup. The smokey flavor, spiciness and the addition of shrimp and corn makes this soup wonderful. Here's a word of caution: add the chipotle in Adobo sparingly at first, and test to see if you need to add more. I find the chipotles in Adobo bitter-hot, which I don't care for, so I usually use less than called for.

Top Chef Hosea Rosenberg's Smokey Tomato Soup
Adapted Version
Rating: 9 out of 10

INGREDIENTS:
6 Roma tomatoes, halved
6-8 fresh thyme sprigs
sea salt and pepper to taste
4 Tbsp. canola or olive oil, divided use
1/2 onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 Tbsp. chipotle in Adobo sauce (I found this to be too much; start with 2 tsp. and taste before adding more.)
1 cup Land o' Lakes fat-free half and half, OR cream, if preferred
1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
2 ears cooked corn, kernels and milk scraped off cob
12 small freshly cooked shrimp (saute in 1 Tbsp. oil if preferred)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oven to 350F. Halve tomatoes and place in large pie plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; top with thyme sprigs. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp. oil; bake 30-35 minutes, or till very tender. Cool slightly.

In 3-quart heavy pot, saute onions and garlic in 2 Tbsp. oil over medium heat till soft. Add tomatoes with all their juices and the thyme sprigs; chipotle, broth, and paprika. Simmer, covered, 20 minutes. Taste to adjust seasonings, adding more chipotle, salt and/or pepper, if needed. Strain through cheesecloth, discarding solids. Add half and half and bring back to simmer. Simmer 10 minutes; check seasonings again, adding what may be necessary. Stir in corn and shrimp; garnish with chopped cilantro.

Yield: 4-5 servings