8 servings

Prep time: 30 minutes | Cook time: 60 minutes

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 large onion
• 1 medium carrot
• 1/2 celery stalk
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 5 tablespoons AP flour
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 4 cups crushed tomato
• 3 parsely sprigs
• 3 thyme sprigs
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Instructions:

1. Saute the carrot, onion, and celery in butter until soft
2. Add the garlic and saute another 2-3 minutes
3. Add the tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes, taking care to caramelize the fond and scrape up before browning
4. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes
5. Pour in the chicken stock while whisking constantly
6. Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer
7. Tie the herbs together in a bundle and add to the pot, simmering for about 45 minutes
8. Use the immersion blender to puree, then transfer to a vitamix to blend to a fully smooth consistency.
9. Return to the pot and add cream, salt, and pepper. Bring up temperature to serving level

For the chive oil, a general ratio is 1 cup of oil for 1 bunch of chives:

1. Add oil and chives to the base of a high powered blender, puree until smooth and bright green
2. Store in a nonreactive vessel for a couple days, a glass jar works well
3. Strain the oil away from any separated water
4. Strain through a fine mesh strainer, then again through a cheesecloth or coffee filter to remove the smallest of particles. Don’t aggressively press on the pureed chives, this could incorporate water content and create a cloudy oil.
5. Store the chive oil in a refrigerator and use it within a month. Remove the oil from the refrigerator a couple hours before using in case any congealing occurs.

Other Ideas:
Garnish with chive oil, fresh herbs, yogurt/sour cream, etc