"Homemade" Creamy Tomato Soup

RECIPE FORUM Recipe Exchange
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You wouldn’t think many people would be eating soup in Florida in April, but then again you wouldn’t expect it to get down to 35 degrees at night in Florida in April… :slight_smile:

Most soups I like to make from scratch, but Campbell’s tomato soup is pretty darn good as it is. I do, however, like to add to whatever pre-packaged food I may use, as it just doesn’t seem like cooking if I don’t. This is one of those recipes you develop using whatever you happen to have in the pantry and the fridge, and it happens to turn out awesome (after many successful “experiments” which I never bothered to write down and could never again duplicate, I keep pen and paper handy in the kitchen, and this came out pretty good so I thought I’d share).

2 cans Campbell’s Tomato Soup
1 can Campbell’s Cream of Chicken Soup
3 cans whole milk (I mean, of course, 3 soup cans full)
1/4 tsp black pepper
5 slices american cheese
4 TBS Pace Salsa Con Queso (I used the medium)
1 medium onion, minced
1 TBS butter
1 TBS sugar

In a medium saute pan over medium low heat, melt the butter and add the minced onion. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to soften, then add the sugar. Cook the onions until they are carmelized. If you don’t know what that is or how to do it, don’t worry it’s easy. You simply cook the onions over the medium low heat (I have an electric stove numbered 1-10, and I set the burner on “2”) stirring occasionally, until they get to be a caramel brown color, anywhere from 20-45 minutes depending on how much you stir them. Unlike sauteed onions these will taste sweeter when done (the sugar isn’t neccessary, but I find it helps speed up the carmelization process).

Meanwhile in a large pot over medium low heat, combine the rest of the ingredients except for the american cheese, and whisk until combined. Stir occasionally, until the soup has warmed through, then add the american cheese and onions. Cook until cheese has melted and the soup in hot. This soup has a great flavor, and the carmelized onions really do something special to it. This would also be a very easy crockpot dish, just carmelize the onions the night before, then dump everything into your crockpot before you go to work and set it on low. I serve this with some pretty tasty croutons, which I will post next. Enjoy!

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The secret to this recipe is the surprise of finding your pot of tomato soup burnt to the bottom of the pot. The Cream of Chicken soup adds NOTHING to the Tomato Soup except a nasty, thick bouillon-style base that sticks to the bottom of your wife’s favorite cooking pot and burns it to the bottom – rendering it unuseable (we had to throw it out… a pot that had been in my wife’s family for nearly a generation). Somebody needs to get back at the author who posted this “recipe” – it’s merely a joke that will ruin your cookingware. Try it at your own risk – Again, I will reiterate, from first-person experience, jslate6228’s “recipe” will destroy your cookingware.

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Mom’s Homemade Tomato Soup
(To seaside57, try this one . . . I’m sure you’ll like it)

3-28 oz. cans whole tomatoes (with their juice)
2 med. onions, chopped (or 2 small palmfuls dried onion)
4 Tablespoons butter
4 Tablespoons flour
1 can evaporated milk
1/2 Teaspoon baking soda
salt and pepper to taste

In a heavy-bottomed dutch oven or large saucepan, bring the tomatoes and onions to a small boil and continue cooking until the tomatoes begin to break down. Puree the mixture in a blender and then put through a sieve to strain out the seeds. In the same pot you used for the tomato mixture, make a roux with the butter and flour. Add the milk and whisk until smooth. Add this mixture to the deseeded, pureed tomato mixture and whisk until fully combined. Add the baking soda to warmed mixture and season with S & P to taste. (My Mom doubles this). DG