tomato soup for days

There's something about the word fresh. If I say, "I made tomato soup." It's different from me saying, "I made fresh tomato soup." and that's what this stuff is. Fresh tomato soup, made with tomatoes picked right out of our backyard.

Speaking of those tomatoes, we're finally running out. We only have ten or twenty at any given time now, instead of hundreds.

I triple this recipe every time I make it, which gives me quarts and quarts of soup. My in-laws gave us a little freezer, which we're keeping in the garage and stock piling with home made soups for this fall/winter.

Ingredients

• 4 cups of blended Tomatoes 
• Basil
• Oregano
• Salt
• Pepper
• Cloves
• Garlic Salt
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1/2 cup of Milk
• 2 tablespoons of Butter
• 2 tablespoons of Flour
• 2 teaspoons Sugar
• 2 cups of Chicken Broth

You need two large pots for this recipe, because you put in six cups of ingredients and then after it boils down, you transfer it to another large pot that has some other ingredients in it. I could tell you the size of the pots I use, but like I said, I triple the recipe to use up our garden tomatoes, so my size wouldn't help you.

Blend your tomatoes first, if you like chunkier tomato soup, you can blend them less, but I always put my blender on its highest setting and let it go to town. Pour the (basically liquid) tomatoes into your first pot, which can be on high heat. Now add three shakes of cloves, five shakes of oregano, five shakes of garlic salt, and two cups of chicken broth. Stir together. Bring your soup to a boil and let boil for twenty minutes. Stir again and turn the heat down.

In your second pot, which can be turned on to a medium heat, place two tablespoons of butter and two tablespoons of flour. Let the butter melt some while you whisk it with the flour. Once this roux is brown, start pouring the tomato soup from the other pot into the pot with the flour and butter. Pour some, then stir. Pour more, then stir. Add your half cup of milk, two teaspoons of sugar, and then salt and pepper to taste. Add basil to top each bowl after you've dished it.

It's easy, delish, and filling. Not gonna lie, it feels like an accomplishment to have so many quarts of it sitting in our freezer. I've also been making and freezing up quarts of a super fresh potato soup. Winter, I'm feeling ready for you!