Creamy Tomato Soup

This is a delicious creamy soup without any cream! How is it done? The secret is in the bread slices. It adds the texture without the dairy. This also means you can leave this soup to boil, or reheat to boiling, without worrying about spoiling the soup (as if you had used milk). It's also recommended to use canned whole tomatoes, instead of crushed or fresh, to maximize on flavor. Very easy to put together. I made a very large batch for a party of 7 and had enough leftovers for at least 4 more servings. Based on the original.

• 6 T oil, split
• 1.5 c onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced or chopped
• 3 cans of whole tomatoes packed in juice (28 oz cans)
• 1.5 T brown sugar
• 4 large slices of bread, crusts removed and cut into 1" pieces
• 3 c stock or water
• pepper

1. Heat 3 T oil in soup pot over med heat.
2. Add the onion and garlic.
3. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent (3-5 min).
4. Stir in teh tomatoes and their juice. Use a potato masher to break apart the tomatoes. Remove any skin still remaining. Pieces should be no larger than 2 inches.
5. Stir in the sugar and bread pieces. Bring soup to a boil.
6. Reduce the heat to med and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bread is saturated and starts to break down. About 5 min.
7. Turn off heat. Transfer to blender in 3 batches, adding 1 T oil per batch. Blend until smooth and creamy - about 2 min. Transfer to a large bowl.
8. Rinse out pot and return soup to the pot.
9. Stir in 3 c of stock or water or until soup is desired thickness.
10. Return soup to boil and season to taste with pepper.

Variations

• Serve with grated parmesan, chopped basil and grilled cheese sandwiches.
• Add a bay leaf with the garlic and onion. Remove it before blending.
• Garnish with parsley or croutons.