After craving tomato soup, I decided to make my own. My sister Joan likes it chunky-style, so she doesn't puree. Serve it with a grilled cheese sandwich. —Marian Brown, Mississauga, Ontario
Satisfying Tomato Soup Recipe photo by Taste of Home
In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery; cook and stir until tender, 2-4 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes to allow flavors to blend.
Puree soup using an immersion blender. Or cool soup slightly and puree in batches in a blender; return to pan and heat through. If desired, top with fresh minced basil. Freeze option: Freeze cooled soup in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally; add water if necessary.
Grilled Cheese Croutons:
For croutons that won't immediately soak up all the soup, use day-old bread and cook it slower than normal so you end up with a crispy, drier sandwich. Butter one side of two slices of day-old, hearty bread. Place one slice in a skillet over medium-low heat; top with your favorite cheese slices. Top with the second slice, butter side up, and cook until dark golden brown, 4-5 minutes. Flip and cook another 4-5 minutes. Remove and cut into cubes.
