Easy Tomato Soup

It has been really busy and hectic around here and I needed a grocery run but I wasn't feeling well this morning so I had to look at something easy to throw together with what we had. Grilled cheese and tomato soup is one of my go-to throw-together dinners. We have a few favorite boxed tomato soups but I was all out so I needed to find an easy homemade version. I haven't loved a lot of the homemade tomato soups I've had in the past--mostly because no matter how long you cook those onions, they still wind up being kind of grainy when you blend the soup. This recipe uses spices instead of onions and tastes smooth and delicious. It also starts with tomato puree so there's no blending at all! I used the Cento brand and it tasted fresh and wonderful. There was enough for our family to each have a small serving of soup with our grilled cheese and we had a little leftover for a couple second servings. Keira was scraping the last of the soup out of the pot with her grilled cheese so I think it's safe to say everyone liked it!


EASY TOMATO SOUP
About 6 servings (works for my whole family if served with grilled cheese)
(from this blog)

Ingredients
1 (28 oz) can tomato puree (just pureed tomatoes, no other ingredients)*
2 cups chicken broth (not low-sodium)
1 teaspoon kosher salt (less or more, depending on the products you use)
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon sugar (optional, taste and decide)
½ cup heavy cream

Instructions
Whisk together the tomato puree, chicken broth and seasonings in a large stockpot.
Bring to a boil over high heat.
Whisk again, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
Lower the heat to low. Taste the soup and decide if you’d like to add more salt or a small amount of sweetener.
Stir in the heavy cream and continue cooking, uncovered, over low heat just until heated through, 1-2 more minutes. Do not allow the soup to boil.

Notes
*It's best to use Cento tomato puree or Pomi strained tomatoes (links provided in the article above). Both are Italian brands. Cento is easier to find in regular supermarkets. They are sweeter and less acidic than American brands. If using an American brand such as Muir Glen Tomato Puree, you might need to add a small amount of a sweetener to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes.