Ok, I love Campbell's tomato soup. Now does anyone have any ideas/recipes to amke a similar soup from the stuff our of my garden i.e. fresh tomatoes? And can i can it?

Thanks!

I have a recipe for tomato soup that I've been meaning to try. It's in that blender cookbook that's on my shelf. It looks to be fairly simple, albeit longer than I normally like my recipes. I lack the strainer to use in the final instruction. Because of that, I haven't tried it. If I ever remember to buy one, I plan on giving the recipe a go.

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Tomato Soup

• 1/4 c. butter
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 lb. tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 T. all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 c. milk
• salt and pepper
• 2 T. fresh basil leaves, to garnish

1. Melt half the butter in a pan. Add the onion and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes until softened. Add the tomatoes and bay leaf and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, or until pulpy.

2. Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter in another pan. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and gradually stir in the milk. Return to th eheat, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Continue to cook, stirring, until smooth and thickened. Transfer to the top of a double broiler.

3. When the tomatoes are pulpy, remove the pan from the heat. Discard bay leaf and pour the tomato mixture into the blender. Process until smooth, then push through a fine strainer into a clean pan. Bring the tomato purée to a boil, then gradually stir into the milk mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into warm bowls, garnish with basil leaves, and serve immediately.

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It's a bit to go through, but it should make some good creamy tomato soup. Oh, there's some additional instructions on the bottom. Tips and such. I haven't tried the tip or the variation.

Cook's tip: It is essential that the tomatoes are really ripe for maximum flavor and sweetness. Ideally, use homegrown, sun-ripened tomatoes or vine tomatoes. If these are not available, you may need to add 1-2 teaspoons sugar to sweeten the purée.

Variation: Add 1/2 cup diced lean bacon with the onion in step 1 and garnish the soup with 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley instead of basil.