Autumn Canned Tomato Soup

Make really good, really easy homemade tomato soup by cheating with a little canned diced tomatoes and chicken broth.

Our pal Tamra from eatseasonally.com told us a funny story about a kid who complained with disgust that there was nothing to eat at his house–only ingredients. Poor kid comes from a family that cooks! As we scrounged around the pantry for the makings of a quick warming soup during an early December snowstorm, it sure felt great to be in the kitchen with just a bunch of ingredients.

Everyone should feel confident about whipping up a simple meal. A comforting plate of scrambled eggs and toast can taste pretty close to perfect. Sure you can choose to be a re-warmer and you won’t starve, but you’ll be giving away your power and limit your choices. In fact, you can make a nice tomato soup with canned diced tomatoes and chicken broth in about the same amount of time it takes to heat up a pile of bagel bites.

Autumn Canned Tomato Soup

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Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Pinch of hot pepper flakes, optional
• 6 slices Tuscan bread, toasted and rubbed with garlic
• About 6 ounces shredded fontina, gouda, Jarlesberg or sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a medium soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the garlic and parsley and cook an additional 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and simmer a few minutes. Stir in the broth. Season with salt, pepper, and hot pepper flakes. Simmer about 5 minutes. Puree soup with an immersion blender, if desired. Place the toasted bread slices on a baking sheet. Top each with cheese. Broil until melted. Cut into manageable pieces. Serve soup topped with bread.  Makes 6 servings.