RESTAURANT QUALITY TOMATO SOUP (CROCK POT)

Makes 10 cups (8 cups soup base + 2 cups cream)

--3 lbs of vine-ripened tomatoes (or sub 2 28oz cans whole tomatoes)

--1 med onion, chopped (4 ounces)

--2 cups tomato juice

--1 cup apple juice (or sub cooking sherry)

--3 T granulated white sugar

--1 tsp chicken base or 1 chicken bouillon cube

--2 T chopped fresh basil

to add later:

--2 cups heavy cream

--salt (jonny’s ½ tsp)

--pepper (1 tsp)

optional:

sour cream and/or Parmesan cheese for garnish

The Directions:

Use a 5-6 quart crockpot for this soup.

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, onion, tomato juice, apple juice, bouillon, sugar and basil in your crockpot. Stir.

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.

I like to strain my soup as well to get rid of seeds and make it velvety smooth!

Freezer instructions: I blend and strain mine than freeze in ziplock freezer bags before adding cream. Then I just heat the soup base and add cream and eat.