Tomato Soup

Last night a magical fairy appeared at my house and delivered some boxes of produce that were no longer "saleable" (is that a word?). I went through two boxes of tomatoes and while each had a bad spot about half of the total was still very edible. So, what's a gal to do with about 30 cups of tomato chunks? Tomato soup! My littles love tomato soup. A lot. I found a recipe and tweaked it a ton and I have to say, I'm thrilled with the results!

In a large stock pot I added:
about 30 cups of tomatoes
10 fresh basil leaves
5 bay leaves
5 large onions, chopped

Simmer until all the vegetables are soft. Turn off heat. Then run it all through a blender or use an immersion blender. Strain it thru a colander or sieve.
Return to pot. In a small bowl mix one cup of melted butter and 1 cup of flour. Slowly add the butter mixture to the pot of soup, stirring so you don't get clumps or scorching. Add 1/2 cup of sugar, 2 Tablespoons of salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons of pepper.

 

 

 

This makes a ton. Not even my clan of littles could eat it all so I let it cool then poured it into quart Ziploc bags to freeze. This worked out to about 5 quarts for me.

 

The kids were happy to eat it just like this, but you could add milk right before you serve it if you prefer a creamier soup.

I am so excited to know that in the midst of a cold winter I will be able to warm our bellies with all the best tastes of summer.

What are you putting up for colder days?

 

I apologize for all the instagram shots, but Poppy had my camera all weekend.