Not So Subtle Tomato-Basil Soup

This simple recipe is an orchestra of simultaneously soothing and exciting flavors. It has nothing in common with its wall-flower cousin, sodium-laden and watery tomato soup topped with broken saltines or used as a dip for grilled cheese. Although, by all means, grill some crusty bread brushed with olive oil, and generously seasoned with salt, pepper and crushed fresh garlic. It would make a fitting accompaniment to this lovely gluten-free soup. As the days grow shorter and cooler, this soup is a surefire antidote for whatever chills you.

1/2 cup onions, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 28-ounce cans tomatoes, including their juice
1 cup basil, puréed
2 teaspoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
2.5 cups vegetable stock
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a very large, stock pot, sauté garlic and onion in olive oil for about five minutes or until soft. Add all other ingredients (excluding Parmesan) and bring to a simmer. After simmering for 20 minutes, remove 2 cups of hot soup and whisk the Parmesan cheese into it. Return the soup and cheese mixture to the stock pot. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve. Garnish each serving with a basil leaf if desired.

Food Fact! I'm considering giving my adorably cherubic toddler the nickname xitomatl (pronounced shi-to-ma-tlh), the word Aztecs used for "tomato," meaning, "plump thing with a navel". Often mistaken for a vegetable, the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is both a fruit and a member of the nightshade family, along with chili peppers, potatoes, and eggplant.
According to Andrew F. Smith, author of The Tomato in America, the tomato most likely originated in the highlands of the west coast of South America. After colonization by the Spanish, the tomato began its migration through Spanish colonies in the Caribbean, the Philippines, southeast Asia, and then the entire Asian continent. In the 1540s, the Spanish began cultivating the tomato in Europe, where it grew easily in Mediterranean climates. However, the fruit wasn't incorporated into Italian cuisine until the late 17th or early 18th century---in certain areas of Italy, tomatoes were merely used as tabletop decoration before it was ever incorporated into the local cuisine until the late 17th or early 18th century!