I went to a simple gathering with friends this weekend and was served the most incredible tomato soup I've ever had (and I grew up on La Madeline's delicious tomato basil soup as the standard!) This soup was the perfect blend of creamy and tangy, sweet and savory, with the right amount of texture to it. I LOVED IT. I asked the host how to prepare this magical soup and she sent me this recipe by The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond. No wonder it's so good!

This recipe is the perfect simple chilly day or sick day meal. Make a big batch of it so you can freeze some for later.

Tomato soup and other soups are great for people sporting braces because they wont mess with the wires and brackets like hard and crunchy foods can.

Serve this soup with warm bread and/or a salad.

• Yield: 6 to 8 servings
• Total Cook Time: 25 Minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 medium white or yellow onion
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
• Two 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
• One 46-ounce bottle or can tomato juice
• 3 to 6 tablespoons sugar
• 1 or 2 tablespoons chicken base, or 3 chicken bouillon cubes
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup sherry, optional
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

1. To begin, dice the onion. Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven. Throw in the onion and cook until translucent.
2. Now dump in the diced tomatoes and stir to combine. Add the tomato juice.
3. Next - and this is important - in order to combat the acidity of the tomatoes add 3 to 6 tablespoons of sugar. Now, you'll want to start on the low side, then taste and add more as needed. Some tomatoes and juice have more of an acidic bite than others. (For what it's worth, and I realize it's not worth much, I use 6 tablespoons of sugar.)
4. Next, add 1 or 2 tablespoons chicken base to the pot. I added 3, and it wound up being a little too much.
5. Now you can add lots of freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine, then heat almost to a boil. Then turn off the heat.
6. Add in the sherry if desired. Stir in the cream. Add the basil and parsley and stir.
7. Serve the soup warm!

XX,

A hungry McFarland Orthodontics Staffer

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I found this recipe here: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/best-tomato-soup-ever-2138619

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