Homemade Chunky Tomato Soup

I don’t know many people that will turn down a bowl of tomato soup; especially if it is partnered with a grilled cheese sandwich. However, the canned condensed soup always seems to need to be doctored up. After not wanting to add spices to my canned soup anymore, and after trying my mom’s homemade tomato soup when I was home in October, I decided to try my hand at making my own.

This is the recipe that I came up with and it was a hit. Give it a try; it is winter, the season for soup, after all. Let me know what you think of it.

What You’ll Need…

3 (14.5oz) Cans Whole Peeled Plum Tomatoes

1 (14.5oz) Can Diced Tomatoes

2 Fresh On the Vine Tomatoes (Diced)

6-7 Cups Vegetable Stock

1 Cup Whole Fresh Basil Leaves

¼ Cup Sugar

2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder

2 Teaspoons Herbes de Provence

1 Teaspoon Black Pepper

1 Teaspoon Salt

4 More Large Whole Fresh Basil Leaves

1 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Vegetable Stock:

8 Cups Water

½ Medium Yellow Onion

2 Carrots (Peeled and chopped into 3 chunks each.)

2 Celery Ribs (Washed and chopped into 3 chunks each.)

For this recipe we start out by making the vegetable stock. Peel the carrots, wash the celery, and cut each rib or carrot into 3 pieces. Keep the onion half whole by keeping the “hairy” end attached, but remove the papery outside. Place the vegetables in a large stock pot with 8 cups of water and allow it to simmer over medium heat, covered, for 1 hour.

When the stock is complete strain the vegetables out and set them aside. Make sure that you strain the stock into a bowl.

Allow the vegetables from the stock to cool, and while this is happening chopped the 2 fresh tomatoes and gather the rest of the ingredients.

When the vegetables from the stock have cooled, chop them into bite-sized pieces. Once they are cut add them, the fresh and canned tomatoes, stock, and 1 cup of whole, fresh basil, and sugar to the stock pot. Allow the soup to simmer, partially covered for 1 hour.

After an hour turn off the heat, add the remaining spices, whole basil and combine.

Now, spoon the soup into a blender and pulse the blender 5-8 times. No more. After the soup has been partially pureed place it in a bowl off to the side until it has all been through the blender. When all of the soup has been blended return it to the stock pot, add the cheese, and the soup is done.

Enjoy alone, with crackers, or along with grilled cheese or quesadillas. It is also great as a sauce over pasta!