NOSH WITH NICHOLA: This soup's for you: Chuck Hughes' creamy tomato soup

NOSH WITH NICHOLA: This soup's for you: Chuck Hughes' creamy tomato soup. Nichola used 10 per cent cream and help the parmesan rinds to make this bowl of soup - perfect for a light lunch. Photo/NICHOLA PETTS

The difference between Chuck Hughes' creamy tomato soup and the canned variety is night and day. If you're like me, soup is a staple meal during the winter, preferably using ingredients you already have on hand or can easily find at your local grocers.

It was for these reasons (and the fact that Chuck is easy on the eyes - who wouldn't like a guy with a lemon meringue pie tattoo?) that this recipe caught my eye.

2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 large tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup water
Parmesan rind
4 sprigs of thyme
1/4 cup of 35 per cent cream
2 tbsp butter
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese, grated
Chives, chopped

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and continue to cook for five minutes until translucent. Add tomatoes and sugar and continue to cook for five minutes. Add water, parmesan rind and thyme. Cook for about 25 minutes.

Remove the parmesan rind and the thyme. Puree the soup in a food processor or with a hand blender. Pour puree through a strainer over a pot. Stir in the cream and butter. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve: Sprinkle parmesan cheese and chives on top of the soup.

I made a few minor amendments to the recipe.

For starters, I forgot to buy butter and had to use the margarine I already had on hand. As well, I bought 10 per cent cream instead of 35 per cent. I figured it was less fat and besides, I'll never use up an entire carton of heavy cream. (If I did it really wouldn't be very good for my waistline).

I'm glad the parmesan rind was optional. Granted, I'm sure it would add a certain "je ne sais quoi" to the soup, but I don't have parmesan rinds hanging around in my fridge.

The verdict:

The soup was tasty, but I found the texture to be a bit watery.

I wonder if de-seeding the tomatoes before adding them to the pot or actually using the 35 per cent cream would have made a difference. The grated parmesan and chopped chives as garnish were nice, but the soup seemed to be missing something.

I don't really know what, but I wished there was more of a spice to the soup. I considered adding some Sriracha to my bowl; I know, some would say that's blasphemy, but I thought it needed a bit of a "zing!"

I asked my neighbour to conduct a taste test (what are good neighbours for?). She liked it, but suggested it be paired with a sandwich for a proper meal.

She's right, the recipe recommends it be paired with Chuck's Grilled Cheese and Caramelized Onions sandwich. Or use it as a light lunch or an appetizer. It's very light.

All in all, if you're a soup lover, I recommend you give it a whirl. If you have parmesan rinds on hand and end up using the 35 per cent cream, be sure to let me know how it turns out.

Recipe courtesy of http://www.foodnetwork.ca/ontv/shows/chucks-day-off/recipe.html?dishID=11926&titleid=229156