The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science

place).
Of course, there’s the classic Campbell’s tomato-soup-in-
a-can, which, like a puppy that won’t stop licking your face,
is cloyingly cute and enjoyable up to a point, but sometimes
what you want is the adult version. Luckily, making it is
almost as simple. This version uses whole canned tomatoes
pureed with a mixture of sautéed onions, oregano, and red
pepper flakes, which gives it just the right amount of flavor
and heat to bring balance to the dish. As with chili, adding a
splash of liquor to the soup just before serving helps its
aroma pop out of the bowl and into your nose, where it
belongs, though it’ll do fine without it. A drizzle of high-
quality olive oil and a sprinkling of fresh herbs transform
this childhood classic into a downright elegant lunch. Make
sure you put on a tie and jacket before consuming.