It takes tomatoes to make tomato soup. You can start with ones fresh out of the garden like the "Pineapple" one above displayed on a 6 1/2 inch saucer. Or you can use a can of store-bought tomatoes or a can of tomato sauce.
Tomato soup from Canned tomatoes or sauce
Which ever you use, it's a great soup. The difference is, using the canned tomatoes you will have tomato chunks in your soup.
Ingredients:
1 enormous onion (or the equivalent in smaller onions.)
2 tablespoons butter
15 oz can of tomato sauce or the larger can of whole tomatoes.Flour (approximately 1/2 cup)
Milk or water ? It varies according to how much flour you use.
Fresh Basil (optional)
1. Peel and chop in, 1/4" dice, the onion. Saute till translucent (I cover the pan) in the butter (do not brown).
2. While the onion is cooking open the canned tomatoes and drain them, saving the juice in a bowl. If you are using sauce skip this step. Take the tomatoes and cut them in half horizontally. Use your finger to to clean out the seeds, throw these away. Cut the half into three/four pieces. Add the tomatoes to the bowl of juice.
3. When the onions are done stir flour into them. How Much? Use one tablespoon for every cup of liquid you will use. (When I make it I plan on adding at least a cup of liquid in addition to what amount I have in the cans. If I want a quart of product when the soup is finished I will use 4 tablespoons of flour. I whisk this into the onions having ready the tomatoes (sauce) on the side. When the flour is incorporated I immediately stir in the tomatoes (sauce) and as it thickens I stir in more liquid. I add liquid till it is the consistency I want for soup. Technically you are finished. This is when I taste and add salt, if necessary, and occasionally a teaspoon of sugar to bring out the flavor of the tomatoes.
Using milk as your liquid gives you a cream of tomato soup like a bisque. Using water or chicken broth gives you a brighter soup.
Right before I remove it from the heat, I julienne basil and throw it in. Basil's favor is best when it is not subjected to long cooking. For those unfamiliar with the properties of fresh basil, do not cut it till just before you use it, using a very sharp knife or scissors. Why, because it turns black quickly. Dried Basil does not give that fresh kick to the soup.
A BASIL HINT: When storing fresh basil always store it in the warmest part of your refrigerator (the butter keeper) or if that is not available then wrap in a damp paper towel and put in a plastic bag. Wrap the bag of basil in a dish towel and place in one of those ice cream paper bags and put it in the veggie drawer. Under 45 degrees basil turns black. (Do not wash it, excess water does the same thing cold does).
USING FRESH TOMATOES FOR SOUP
Peel your tomatoes. You can use any color and any kind but you must peel them. Peelings have a very distasteful feel in the soup and they never cook down. Especially with the short cooking time of the soup. After peeling the tomatoes cut them horizontally and remove the seeds with your finger.
Cut the halves into pieces that would be about 1/2 inch dice. Do this over a bowl. You don't want to waste any of the juices. Being these are not canned tomatoes you will not have the quantity of juice like the canned does. I put 3/4 cup water in the bowl with them to get the flour and the onions cooking with them. How many tomatoes? I use a lot, at least the amount you would fill the large tomato can with cut up...I'd say about 2 cups.
As you can tell, you use the above recipe just substituting your own tomatoes. You can also tell I cook without measuring.
Tomato Soup goes very good with Herb bread. Here is an easy recipe:
Tomato Soup goes very good with Herb bread. Here is an easy recipe:
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