Thursday, February 4, 2010

Tomato Soup Success



Stress level on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the highest): 10.

Just so you know.

What was I thinking?

Anyway, after years of testing different tomato soup recipes, I have finally created the ultimate, perfect recipe. It is so good it makes me want to cry. And it only takes 15 minutes, with about 1 minute of prep work. Try it and weep.

Basil Tomato Soup

2 28 oz. cans crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon chicken base
1/2 cup pesto
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 cube (1/2 cup) butter, chopped
1 12 oz. can evaporated milk

Directions:
In a large stock pot, combine tomatoes, chicken base, pesto, salt and sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Add butter and milk and heat through.

Notes:
I buy my chicken base at Costco in the spices/pantry section and use it with water added as a substitute for chicken broth or stock all the time.

Great food storage item.

If you don't have it, you can substitute 3 boulion cubes, but don't add any salt (and sorry to say, but your soup won't be as good). I use homemade pesto that I freeze at the end of every summer in gargantuan batches. (Ask my kids about picking basil last fall. I think we had 3 laundry baskets full.)

photo from here

5 comments:

  1. Sorry you're so stressed! April 15th will come quickly. :)

    Does chicken base have MSG? I'd need to use something that doesn't have MSG because Corey can't eat it.

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  2. Ive made tomato soup twice. Both times it was bleh. But I will try this recipe, I will. And when I weep, is it because the soup is good or b/c I am crying for your stress?

    10% done, right? Well, I guess after tomorrow. Sorry to get your hopes up.

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  3. Hang in there! You're not alone! I've never made tomato soup, I've never had any that tasted good either. I would love to try yours, but I have no pesto on hand...When the snowstorm clears I'll go back to the store and get some.

    Its going to be ok!

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  4. Thank you for the recipe and the heads up. It already looks so great. =) During those times I said I was available, I can COME GET your child(ren). Sometimes it doesn't even seem worth it to drive them somewhere and have to pick them up. Please tell me when.

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  5. i'm so excited to have found your blog. this recipe looks amazing and i love that it is so simple.

    cheers!

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