Update: We’ve added a version of the soup that contains pieces of onion and tomatoes, one familiar to folks who were eating the soup way back, even before Liz Jackson was at La Baguette. Several people had their versions; we’re using one from Susan Thorp as she reports she got it directly from someone who worked at the bakery in the late 1970s.

Well, this turns out to be ridiculously simple, more about method than ingredients. Liz Jackson has been making the spicy tomato soup at La Baguette for 34 years and says this is the recipe she’s used the whole time. It’s been cut way, way back, but the amounts have her seal of approval. Just follow the directions — no boiling.

La Baguette Spicy Tomato Soup

Ingredients

1 quart tomato juice

2 tablespoons chopped onion, sauteed until soft in butter or margarine

1 tablespoon dried basil

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon Louisiana Hot Sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Mix all ingredients and cook in a double boiler for about 1 hour. Stir from time to time to dissolve the sugar, which will settle on the bottom. Do NOT bring to a boil; you just want it heated and thickened. You can cook longer if needed to thicken and Jackson says the soup improves the next day. Serves 4.

Source: Liz Jackson, La Baguette

Spicy Tomato Soup #2

Ingredients

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 large garlic clove, minced

Olive oil for pan

1 46-ounce can tomato juice

1 28-ounce can tomatoes, (cut them up)

2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

Black pepper

Mozzarella cheese for garnish

Directions

Sauté onion and garlic in small amount of olive oil until soft. Add juice and tomatoes. Cook on medium heat until barely boiling. Add Tabasco, soy sauce and black pepper, seasoning to taste. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle with mozzarella. Serves 4-6.

Source: Submitted by Susan Thorp