Tomato Soup

A cold and wintry day in South Dakota. Many areas have cancelled activities due to the blizzard conditions. What a perfect day for soup and sandwiches. I have made this recipe once before, but my husband and son were not extremely excited about the soup like I was, so I altered the original recipe a little bit.


Ingredients:
2-3 large garden carrots
1/4 head of cauliflower
3 TBSP olive oil
1/2 cup diced onions
1/2 cup diced celery
1 8oz can tomato sauce (partial can left over from making homemade pizza last night)
1-2 whole cloves garlic
1 TBSP basil
1 TBSP oregano
1/2 box of chicken or veggie broth (32 oz box)
1 pint jar of homemade canned whole tomatoes
1 pint jar of homemade canned tomato juice
salt and pepper to season
1/2 cup milk
1/4 to 1/2 cup grated Parmesan....tastes better if using a block of Parmesan cheese or cheddar or mozzarella to add on top

In a large sauce pot add water and boil the carrots and cauliflower until tender. Drain the carrots and cauliflower, but reserve 1/2 cup of the water for adding later. In a frying pan, add olive oil and heat. To the olive oil, add onions, celery, garlic, basil, oregeno. Cook until onions are translucent. Add tomato sauce. Let cool slightly, add to blender, add broth, reserved water, and liquefy. Add tomatoes and juice, liquefy/blend until smooth. Add soup back to saucepan, add milk, and cook for a few minutes longer. Serve with bread or crackers or even grilled cheese sandwiches. Once served up in bowls add shredded cheese. I think this recipe tasted even better than the previous one.