Comfort, Homemade Tomato Soup

One summer day in Atlanta, I was chilled as I went into the mall (yes, chilled).  I'll never forget how the tomato soup at Nordstrom's made me feel warm and so good!  I went home and searched all over to find the recipe for their soup.  In the process, I have adapted it into my own version of Tomato soup.  I made this all the time.  For any cold or hot day, for a soup and sandwich dinner or for a friend who's not feeling well.  Did I mention how easy it is?  Try it soon and you'll love it.

I start with a small onion diced and cooked in a teaspoon of olive oil. Cook until translucent.

I then add 3 large (28 ounce) cans or 6 smaller 14 ounce cans of diced tomatoes.  For this batch I used fire roasted tomatoes. Add them to the onions.

Then add a quart of chicken broth.  I like to make my own using the soup base and adding it to water.

Add the dried basil or 2 tablespoons of fresh basil.  Cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes or until the liquid is reduced.

I use and immersible emulsifier to puree the tomatoes and onions. This step really thickens the soup.  If you don't have an emulsifier, you can use a blender or food processor, but you want to make sure all the tomatoes are pureed.

If you want to add 1/2 cup of cream, you have cream of tomato soup, but I like it just like this.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  

Here's the recipe:

1 small onion chopped

1 teaspoon olive oil

3 28 ounce cans of diced tomatoes

1 quart of chicken broth

 1 tsp dried basil

salt and pepper to taste

Cook the chopped onion in olive oil until translucent.  Add the tomatoes with their juices, chicken stock and basil.  Cook over medium heat until the liquid is reduced, about 30 minutes.  Use an immersible emulsifier or blender to puree all the vegetables.  Add 1/2 cup of cream if desired.  Salt and pepper to taste.