GARDEN FRESH TOMATO SOUP

By shygirl

Ingredients

• 8 cups chopped fresh tomatoes, peeled and seeded, about 8 medium tomatoes.
• 1 large onion or 2 small onions sliced
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 sprig fresh thyme or pinch dried optional
• 6 whole cloves
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) butter
• 1/4 cup (4 tbsp.) all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. salt
• 4 tsp. granulated sugar
• NOTE: THIS RECIPE CAN EASILY BE CUT IN HALF

Preparation

Step 1

In a stockpot combine tomatoes, onion, garlic, thyme (if using), cloves, and chicken or vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, lower temperature to simmer, and cook 20 minutes. Remove sprig of thyme, garlic and as many of the cloves as you can easily find. Blend (in your batches,if necessary) or run through a food mill. Put mixture in a large bowl.
In the empty stockpot, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour to make a roux; cook while stirring until the roux is a medium brown, about 10 minutes. Gradually whisk in a bit of the tomato mixture, so that no clumps form. Stir in the rest of the tomato mixture. Season with salt and sugar, and adjust seasonings to taste. Makes 5 2 cup servings.