tomato basil soup

For all these years, I've been buying canned tomato soup when I could have been making my own. I guess I thought it would too much of a hassell to make for lunch and would never turn out tasting like the ones I sometimes order at restaurants. Over the past few days, I had been thinking about trying to make my own, and after seeing a couple of different recipes online, decided to make some today for lunch. After looking at a couple of different recipes, I got a basic idea for the soup, and what's great is that I already had everything on hand. It took me maybe 20-25 minutes to make, and only because the soup had to simmer for 15. This soup is easy and inexpensive, and i was very pleased with the results. I had no idea how easy homemade tomato soup is to make. I will certainly be making this often and won't be buying any more of the processed stuff from the store!

Tomato Basil Soup

I N G R E D I E N T S :

1 onion, chopped
2-4 cloves garlic, depending on how much garlic you want
28 oz canned tomatoes. I used a jar that someone had canned and given to us.
1 cup water plus two chicken bullion cubes (or two cups chicken broth)
2 Tbsp. butter
2Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. fresh basil, or 1 Tbsp. dried
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt, if desired (i find this soup salty enough on its own after using chicken bullion)

D I R E C T I O N S :

Saute onion and garlic in a small amount of oil until tender.

Puree or chop canned tomatoes. to remove seeds, press through a wire mesh strainer or sieve. (the first time i made this, i left the seeds in, but taking this extra step does improve the texture.)

add tomatoes to onion and garlic.

Add one cup water and two bullion cubes, or chicken broth. Let all of this simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan, and stir in the flour to form a roux. Add to soup mixture after it has finished simmering, and stir until well combined.

Add basil and pepper, and salt, if desired.

Finish by pureeing the soup, or if you would rather it be chunky, you can skip this part.

Great with ciabatta, focaccia, french bread, with a salad, or even on its own. You could also grate up some good cheese on top, or add a dollop of sour cream. Yum!