Homemade Tomato Soup

What might one do with those ripe, summer-sweetened tomatoes? There's always the traditional salsa or canning, but have you ever thought about making homemade tomato soup? Put this up against your usual storebought brand and you'll be amazed at the difference. This recipe is pure and simple cream of tomato soup- no frills so that the taste of summer's harvest is unadulterated.

Pick up or scour your garden for some large, juicy varieties such as beefsteak. You want them at the peak of their ripeness, and even overripe will do. This is a recipe that my 19 month old enjoyed spooning up (though messy, what toddler isn't?) with crackers to dip. A side salad or grilled cheese sandwich would accompany this beautifully.

Cream of Tomato Soup

6 large peeled, cored, and seeded tomatoes (the sweetest you can find)
2 T butter
2 T flour
2 cups whole milk
salt and pepper to taste


Directions: Start by coring tomatoes with knife or corer. Then begin blanching your tomatoes. In simmering water, place tomatoes for 2 minutes or until skin lifts away. (you can use this pot next for tomatoes, just discard old water).
Next, drop tomatoes into cool water bath in sink. One by one, pull skin off, pull apart meat of tomato, and remove as many seeds as you can (I'm not a stickler about this). Put tomatoes back into pan. Cook over medium heat, simmering, and reduce heat and cook until completely cooked down.
Now you're ready to make your cream base. In another small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until it's smooth and bubbly. Slowly whisk in milk, not allowing to boil but allowing to just thicken.


Now it's time for the magic! Add the cream base to the tomatoes (as long as tomatoes are cooked down) and add salt and pepper to taste. At this point you can either put the soup in a sturdy blender for more liquid consistency, or leave it chunky as I do. Until you taste it, you won't know why I'm such a fanatic about it.... it's truly summer in a bowl.