Lent in the midwest is cloudy, dreary, cold, and damp. Nothing warms the chill like a bowl of meatless soup on a Lenten Friday. This Tomato-Basil Soup is rich and creamy and my most often shared recipe.
Tomato Basil Soup
Ingredients
1 medium onion
2 Tbsp butter
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 cans tomato soup
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 8 oz package cream cheese, cubed
Directions:
Sauté onions in butter. Stir in tomatoes, soup, milk, and spices. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer ten minutes. Stir in cheese until melted.
If you love your crockpot as much as me, you must have this easy recipe for Baked Potato Soup, another family favorite.
Crock Pot Baked Potato Soup
Ingredients
8 cups diced potatoes
6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2 tsp minced garlic, or more if you love garlic!
2 Tbsp minced dried onion
salt and pepper
1 can of cream of potato or cream of chicken soup
Directions:
Combine all, cook on high for five hours. (You can cook this longer on low, but I have found that cooking it faster makes for a thicker soup.) About an hour before serving add 8 oz cubed cream cheese and stir until melty. Top with cheese, green onions, chives, and if it isn’t a Lenten Friday…bacon!
Serve either soup with a side of crusty bread. I’m a huge fan of the book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. It makes bread baking quick, easy, and economical.
