I Say Tomato

Cream of Tomato Soup

Wow I love this soup.. I found it in a magazine once. It was the first tomato soup I'd ever made. And now I will dedicate at least part of my life to making more tomato soup.

This was my one treat to myself. Out of the two weeks that Ralph was away, I managed to have 2 nights alone at home. On the first night, I made this soup and had it for supper, and on the second, I just had it for supper. It defined my happy alone time, and made it super happy. It's got all these great veggies in it, and only a little bit of cream. I could eat it without bread for a super healthy meal, and did I mention is tangy and absolutely gorgeous?

I've never been a fan of spending time alone. Growing up I always wanted to be around people ALL the time. I always make plans with people, and I honestly, honestly can't remember spending time alone at home. This time I've found myself really wanting it, craving it. Just a night or two of wallowing on the couch, watching series, and eating whatever I want. I have to say, I'm now a big fan of it! I'm not naturally a relaxed person, but when I'm alone I find I'm at least a little so. I won't hesitate to do it again.

Tomato Soup

2 onions
2 - 3 celery sticks
2 x 410g cans chopped tomatoes
20 - 40 ml tomato paste
1 - 2 potatoes
1 cube chicken stock
250 ml boiling water
30 ml sugar
black pepper
nutmeg
6 bay leaves
coriander
250 ml milk or cream

1) Chop and sautee onion and celery until soft.
2) Add everything except coriander and cream and simmer until potatoes are cooked (about an hour).
3) Add coriander, and cook for a further 5 minutes.
4) Remove the bay leaves, and blend soup until smooth.
5) Add cream or milk (I do half-half).
6) Season to taste and serve.

Here's a hint: do not serve during summer! I ate a bowl of this and spent the rest of the evening trying to cool down. Then the next evening I had another bowl, just because it was sooo good that I didn't care :-).