½ onion, chopped
6 Tablespoons butter
2 ounces fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon minced garlic
½ cup sun dried tomatoes
up to 1 cup shredded or chopped veggies
2 Tablespoons olive oil from sun dried tomatoes
2 pounds peeled & diced tomatoes (canned, fresh, or combination)
2 cups tomato soup or juice
1 cup chicken broth
A dash of nutmeg
¼ teaspoon thyme
¼ teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon marjoram
½ teaspoon dried basil
3 Tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon salt
a dash of white pepper and/or red pepper flakes
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
2 cups half & half or heavy cream
Sauté onions in butter long and low, until caramelized. Add remaining ingredients except dairy and simmer for at least 1 hour. Use a stick blender to puree mixture or process small batches in a blender; stir in dairy, then simmer another 30 minutes or so to heat through. Optional: Top with cooked orzo pasta!
Yield: 3-4 servings
Time to Make: about 2 hours
Source: Angela Peterson Hoffman
I use prepared roasted red pepper & tomato soup instead of the tomato juice/tomato soup concentrate. Also, I cut out the chicken broth for the, making it vegetarian. I just added in a little more tomato juice & water at the end if it needed thinning out. For the “chopped or shredded veggies,” I just use whatever is on hand – carrots, red pepper, zucchini, spinach, etc. I try to stick with more reds & oranges, though, because lots of green veggies dulls the color to a less-appetizing tan.