Tomato Soup

This is kind of a no recipe but here’s what I do.

1. Run the tomatoes through a juicer or sauce maker.  I use the hand crank model shown here.  I have an older electric model but for some reason, I prefer the hand crank one and haven’t even seen the electric one in years.
2. You’re going to want about twice as much juice as you think you’ll want soup.  If you want 2 quarts of soup, make 3-1/2 to 4 quarts juice.
3. Saute some finely chopped onions and garlic in olive oil.  Cook til the onions are clear.
4. Add the juice and simmer the juice til it begins to thicken.  I simmer mine for probably 4 hours.  After about 3 hours, throw in some basil, oregano, salt and fresh cracked pepper.  We use lots of basil but use whatever suits your tastes.
5. Continue simmering and I let it get a little thicker than I actually want the soup to be.
6. Before serving, I let the soup cool down and then add some Half & Half to make it really creamy. Then heat it on low til hot.
7. Serve with a bit of grated Parmesan cheese and crackers.