I have been known to comment that when it comes to tomato soup, you
would do just as well to buy a canned soup rather than make a homemade
tomato soup. But, if you love to cook and you’re not in a hurry, you
really should try making your own homemade tomato soup. Canned soups
cannot compare to the real deal.
Here’s a real easy one for you to get started with – just follow the
directions and you’ll be fine and you’ll be the life of the party when
you take it to a pot luck dinner:
Homemade Tomato Soup
Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over
medium-high heat. While the oil is getting hot, chop 1 cup of onion
(about 1 medium onion) and mince 2 cloves of garlic.
TIP: If you don't have a garlic mincer, peel off one of the cloves and
lay your knife flat against it and hit the side of your knife with the
palm of your hand (make sure it's the side and not the edge - that would
certainly color the soup but it's not what you want). This will mash the
clove of garlic open so you can finely mince it with your sharp knife.
After the oil is hot and the onion and garlic is chopped and mince, heat
them in the oil until the onion is tender (it will be translucent).
While that's heating, chop 1/2 cup carrot and 1/4 cup celery. Add those
to the oil, onion and garlic mixture and continue to heat for 8 to 10
minutes until tender everything is soft and tender. Be sure to stir them
around often so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot and burns.
Now it's time to stir in 2 (400g) cans crushed tomatoes and 3 1/2
cups vegetable broth. As they heat, you can add 1 tablespoon
Worcestershire sauce, and some salt to taste. Mix that in well and add
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper and a few
drops of hot pepper sauce if you like.
Reduce the flame to a low heat and put a cover on the pot. It only has
to simmer for about 20 minutes, but be sure that you stir it often.
After it's done, serve it hot with some nice fresh bread or crackers.
Now, that wasn’t really so hard was it, and it tastes soooo much better
than store bought soup. Good cooks don’t mind spending a little more
time in the kitchen to make a great homemade soup, and your friends and
family will never believe it was easy – so why even tell them?
