Crockpot Tomato Soup

I love making big batches of soup and then freezing it in 2-cup portions - perfect to grab for a nice, yummy lunch on a cold January day.

I have tried tomato-soup variations in the past, but am usually left disappointed. The Crockpot Lady apparently had the same woes, but easily combated the dilemma by creating this delicious tomato soup. She calls it "restaurant quality," and I wholeheartedly agree. This was by far one of the most delicious tomato soups I have ever had - not too acidic, but still full of flavor.


The best part, however, is that there is NO work involved! You spend maybe 90 seconds in prep, and then go about your day while the crockpot does the work.

I didn't really change anything except for the cream part. I realized (as I was about to pour it in, of course) that I only had about 3/4 of a cup of cream. I added maybe 1/2 cup of sour cream and then skim milk for the rest. While I'm sure that's not how she intended, it came out deliciously, and I might just "run out" of cream next time.

Of course, no tomato soup is complete without some sort of grilled sandwich; I served this alongside these paninis.



Ingredients

• 3lbs vine-ripe tomatoes (I used about 10)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cups tomato juice
• 1 cup cooking sherry
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 chicken boullion cube
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 cups heavy cream
• salt and pepper to taste

Wash all of your tomatoes, and cut them in quarters. Nope, we're not going to peel the tomatoes, yay! To save your counter top from tomato gook, put your cutting board on a cookie sheet with sides. The juice will then stay inside the cookie sheet.

Put all the tomatoes in your crockpot.

Chop up the onion, and add it. Cover with the tomato juice and sherry, and drop in the boullion cube. Stir in the sugar and chopped basil.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

If you'd like your soup to have chunks, go ahead and stir in the cream. If you'd prefer a chunk-free soup, CAREFULLY use an immersible blender to soupify, or blend in small batches in a traditional blender. Then stir in the heavy cream.