Cream of Tomato Soup

(shown mixed with Cream of Spinach Soup)

In Mexico, I had a bowl of Cream of Tomato Soup and Cream of Spinach Soup (both poured in at same time so there was red soup on one side and green on the other).  It was so incredible that I ate it 3 of the 7 nights we were there!  :)

I have come up with a cream of tomato that we all love (mixed a bunch of different recipe ideas together to make our own)...now I just need to try the cream of spinach!  :)

This is so seriously good I should never buy canned tomato soup again!

Cream of Tomato Soup

2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp chopped onion

1 garlic clove, diced

1/8 cup flour

3 cups tomato juice

29 oz can petite diced tomatoes

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3 cups milk (or fat free half and half)

1 Tbsp sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 to 1/4 cup sherry cooking wine (could probably use any good wine too)

fresh basil

Directions:

1.  Melt butter in large soup pot.

2.  Add onion and garlic, cook for about a minute.  

3.  Add tomato juice and tomatoes, cooking for about 5 minutes.

4.  Add baking soda, milk, sugar, salt, sherry, and basil.

5.  Heat thoroughly.  Blend with immersion blender or in stand blender until creamy.