Tomato Basil Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can ground peeled tomatoes
5 cups vegetable stock or 5 cups chicken stock
salt & freshly ground black pepper (use kosher salt--much better!)
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic (crushed)

Preparation

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium high heat.
Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 10 minutes -- be careful not to burn garlic.
Add the tomatoes and the stock.
Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.
Cook until soup is slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper.
Stir in the basil.
Place the pot of soup directly in sink, and using a stick blender, blend until smooth.
Serve immediately.