Tony Sobieski'S Tomato Soup
["5 Tbsp. unsalted butter", "2 Tbsp. olive oil", "3 medium size onions", "1/2 tsp. thyme", "3/4 tsp. basil", "salt and pepper to taste", "10 medium size fresh tomatoes or 2 (1 lb.) cans tomatoes", "4 Tbsp. tomato paste", "6 c. chicken stock", "1 1/2 tsp. sugar", "1 1/2 c. heavy cream (for creamy soup) or half and half (for a lighter soup)"]
["Place 3 tablespoons of butter and the olive oil in a soup kettle; heat over a low flame.", "Peel and dice the onions.", "Saute the onions in the soup kettle, sprinkling them with thyme, basil, salt and pepper, stirring occasionally.", "Cut and mash the tomatoes in a bowl.", "When the onions are yellowed and soft, stir in the tomatoes and tomato paste; simmer for 10 minutes.", "Pour 1/4 cup of chicken stock into a small bowl; stir in the flour.", "Add this liquid to the tomatoes and onions, mixing well.", "Add the remainder of the chicken stock to the tomatoes, stirring well.", "Cover the soup kettle; simmer the soup over low heat for 30 minutes."]
["unsalted butter", "olive oil", "onions", "thyme", "basil", "salt", "tomatoes", "tomato paste", "chicken stock", "sugar", "heavy cream"]