Five Crowns French Tomato Soup

This comes from one of my favorite restaurants in Corona Del Mar, CA.

Serve this hot, with garlic croutons, or serve cold with a sprinkling of fresh herbs.

2 Strips diced bacon
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups sliced onions
8 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
4 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tsp chopped basil
1/2 tsp chopped thyme
Salt
White Pepper

. Cook bacon in large sauce pan until crisp. Add oil and onions and saute until browned, 7 to 8 minutes

. Add tomatoes, stock, tomato paste, lemon zest, sugar, parsley, basil and thyme and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.

. Puree soup in batches in blender, or food processor and return to pan. Add salt and pepper to taste