Homemade Cream of Tomato Soup

Homemade Cream of Tomato Soup

Like many kids, I grew up eating tomato soup that came from a can.  However, ours was not made with water and heated and served, but was made with milk, a pat of butter added and seasoned with salt and pepper.  When friends would have tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches at our home, they always raved about how good it was and wondered why theirs never tasted like that.  The secret of course was the creamy milk, the pat of butter and seasoning.

Now that I'm an adult with my own family I rarely purchase canned tomato soup, but we still love a simple meal of soup and sandwiches.  Yesterday we had another crop of tomatoes ready in the garden so I decided it was the perfect day to whip up a batch of homemade tomato soup!  Creamy and fresh tasting with homemade tomatoes;  don't hesitate to make it even if you don't have fresh on hand!  This is easily made with canned tomato puree' or even canned diced tomatoes that you can run through the blender.  Any way you 'play with your food' you'll get a version of tomato soup that is fit for an adult but kids still love it too!

Homemade Tomato Soup

1/2 stick of butter (about 4 tablespoons)
1 T oil
3/4 c sweet onion, diced
5-6 cups worth of tomato puree (approximately)
1-2 basil leaves, ripped or diced
1/3 c flour
1 3/4 - 2 cups chicken broth (bouillon, homemade or canned)
2 T sugar
1 1/2 c milk
salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan, heat the butter and vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent. Add the tomatoes and basil. Simmer about 10 minutes. 

Combine the flour into the broth and whisk or beat with a fork until smooth.  Add to the soup, stirring constantly. Simmer on low 10-15 minutes.  Add the sugar, milk and salt and pepper.  Heat through and serve.

*Note:  If you are using fresh tomatoes, plunge them into a pot of boiling water for 1 minute, then into cold water and slip the skin off before chopping up and adding them to your blender to puree.  If you are using canned, diced tomatoes you have the choice of blending them smoother OR leave them chunky for a soup with body.  If you are using puree from a can, no need to use a blender at all.

After plunging the tomatoes in boiling water and cold, the skin will slip right off!

Fresh tomatoes and basil from the garden