Elephants Tomato Orange Soup

This one comes from my Portland friends. It is made at Elephant's Delicatessen in Portland, OR and is FANTASTIC! The OJ and baking soda may seem a bit strange for a soup, but they happen to be the secret ingredients that give it the WOW you'll love. It just may turn out to be your new favorite tomato soup!

Ingredients
½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
½ medium onion diced
2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup fresh orange juice
½ cup heavy cream
Method
1. In a saucepan, melt butter; add onion and saute until translucent. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper, baking soda and thyme. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered about 15 minutes or until slightly thickened.
2. Puree in a food processor or blender; strain through a sieve or food mill.
3. Return to saucepan and stir in orange juice. At this point, the soup can be refrigerated until ready to serve.
4. At serving time, add the whipping cream and heat gently, stirring constantly, bringing to a simmer and adjust seasonings if necessary. Extra cream may be drizzled on top of the soup immediately before serving for decorative effect.