Description
ADAPTED FROM NYT Cooking
Ingredients
½ pound butter (2 sticks)
3 medium onions diced
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
½ cup all-purpose flour
4 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes
1¼ cups chicken broth
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Zest of 1 lemon
Pinch of cayenne
¾ cup half-and-half
Optional:
2 tablespoons honey (to taste)6-8 drops red food coloring (for a more blood red color)
Instructions
In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 20 minutes.
Add garlic and sauté for 1 additional minute.
Add flour and stir until mixture is slightly thickened and pale gold, about 3 minutes; do not allow to brown.
Stir in the tomatoes and their juices, chicken broth, sugar, salt, celery salt, pepper, paprika, lemon zest and cayenne. Raise heat to medium until the liquid bubbles, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot frequently.
Stir in half-and-half, honey and red food coloring. Remove from heat and purée using a hand blender, or allow to cool until no longer steaming and purée in batches in a stand blender. Return to medium heat just until heated through. Serve hot.
