Supersweet tomatoes will make this cold soup extra-delicious. But to enhance the flavor of even less-than-perfect produce, Melissa Rubel Jacobson adds tomato paste, which has a rich, concentrated taste.
4 pounds tomatoes, quartered and seeded
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup crème fraîche
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped tarragon, plus tarragon leaves for garnish
Working in a blender in 2 batches, puree the tomatoes with the vegetable broth, olive oil, tomato paste, red wine vinegar and sugar until very smooth. Transfer to a bowl, season with salt and pepper and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.
In a small bowl, mix the crème fraîche with the chopped tarragon and season with pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls. Top with a dollop of the crème fraîche, garnish with the tarragon leaves and serve.
