Creamy Garlic Tomato Soup!

I LOVE making soup in the winter! I make so much at one time that we eat it for days! Or I give some away :) This week, I made Creamy Garlic Tomato Soup based on The Prairie Homestead's Recipe.

Creamy Tomato Garlic Soup

• 2 large cans puree tomatoes (you can use crushed or diced but I like a smoother soup)
• 8 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup chopped onion (again due to texture, I chop these in the food processor)
• 4 tsp minced garlic
• 6 tablespoons flour
• 6 cups whole milk OR half and half or combination of the two or 2% (really whatever milk I have on hand but the whole milk / half & half helps to thicken the soup)
• 4 tsp brown sugar (6 tsp sucanat is what the original recipe calls for but I don't have that on hand)
• 4 tablespoons dried basil
• 2.5 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Shredded Parmesan cheese (for garnish)

Melt butter in a large stock pot (I use 6 qt) then add the onion and garlic until tender. Stir in the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes until it starts to brown some.

In another pot, heat the tomatoes to simmer.

In the flour mixture, add the brown sugar, salt, pepper, and basil. Pour in milk semi-quickly but slow enough to not have clumps of flour. Cook and stir constantly over medium heat until it simmers and begins to thicken. Add heated tomatoes and gently stir. Continue to heat for 5-10 minutes stirring occasionally.

Puree the tomatoes in a blender or food processor. (If you have a hand/immersion blender, you can skip this step. Read on for details.) Place them in a separate saucepan, and bring them to a simmer.

I always top with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and often also make homemade garlic croutons. I didn't make the time for the croutons this time so I used crackers instead. I did; however, make the time to deliver some to my friend Carrie as I'm being purposeful with my time AND it's her favorite!