Homemade Tomato Soup

5 from 1 vote

This recipe included a few awesome toddler-appropriate jobs. My boys peeled off the tomato skins, poured water, stirred, and snipped. Big P garnished the soups with fresh basil that he picked from our garden. But don’t panic – he didn’t run to the garden while carrying the scissors.

Prep Time5

Cook Time1

Total Time1 5

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Servings: cups

Author: Adapted by Allison Howe from The Boston Cooking School Cook Book by Fannie Merritt Farmer, 1945

Ingredients

4 cups water
3 cups tomatoes skinned and roughly chopped (can also use 2 15-ounce cans)
3 tablespoons butter or vegan substitute
3 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1 medium carrot small dice
1 stalk of celery small dice
½ yellow onion small dice
2 cloves garlic

Spices:

1 bay leaf
2 whole cloves
2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme
½ teaspoon whole peppercorns

For the garnish:

Plain yogurt and fresh basil

Instructions

In your favorite soup pot, cook butter, carrots, celery, onions, and garlic over medium high heat. After about 5 minutes, add flour and spices. Cook for another 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add water and tomatoes and reduce the temperature to low. Let the soup cook for about one hour, stirring occasionally.
Once the soup has thickened and reduced in volume a bit, it is ready to be blended. Remove the whole spices using a slotted spoon. Carefully puree the soup: Use an immersion blender, or allow to cool enough to transfer safely to a blender or food processor.
Garnish with a dollop of plain yogurt and fresh basil. Enjoy with your favorite people.

Notes

Note on peeling fresh tomatoes: Place tomatoes in boiling water for 2 minutes, then move them to a bowl or sink full of cold water. The skins will peel off very easily. This is a really entertaining job for kids.

Nutrition