SOUP WEEK, DAY 2

What could be more American that tomato soup and grilled cheese? Here is my small twist on the classic tomato soup – the addition of milk makes the soup lovely and cream without adding excess fat. I am sure a plain soy milk would work well here too. And if you want to go TOTALLY wild, do what I did and make some cheesy quesadillas with Teleme cheese & mushrooms! This combination will be tough to beat!

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 T. butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 celry rib, chopped
• 1 1/2 t. dried thyme, basil, sage or any combination of these
• pinch of ground cloves
• 2 T. flour
• 2 15-oz cans of diced tomatoes in puree (or roast and substitute fresh if they are in season)
• pinch baking soda
• 2 1/2 c. vegetable stock
• 1 1/2 c. milk
• salt & pepper
• tomato paste if needed

1. Melt the butter in a stock pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and herbs, stirring occasionally until onions are limp, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the flour, then add tomatoes, baking soda, and stock.
3. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered for 20 minutes.
4. Puree soup in a blender until smooth. (Note: I prefer to puree in my Vitamix but please be careful with hot liquids in any blender. Remove the top plastic stopper and cover the opening with a towel. This will help prevent explosions from the steam or splatters all over your kitchen!)
5. Return the soup to the pot and add the milk. Season with salt & pepper. If the soup is too thick, thin with a bit of stock. If there is not enough tomato flavor, deepen it by adding a small amount of tomato paste.
6. Serve hot with something delicious and cheesey!