tomato soup

I'm Jenn and since I was invited to contribute to lazy girl gourmet today I decided to commemorate by adding one of my very favorite recipes.

I've never been a fan of tomato soup until this one, it is incredibly good and easy. You just need good produce, a blender, and a pot. I bet it would be really good with the french peasant bread recipe posted earlier. Here it is...

3 c. vegetable broth
5 or 6 c. tomatoes, halved or quartered
1 large-ish carrot
1 or 2 jalapeño peppers (can omit if you're not into spicy stuff)
1 large-ish zucchini
2 T. butter
3/4 c. chopped onion
2 T. flour
thyme, salt, or any other spice you want
grated cheese, if desired

1. Bring the broth to a boil. Add the tomatoes, carrots, and zucchini--everything should be cut up, but it doesn't need to be small, just smaller to fit. Cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until vegetables are softened. Add the jalapeños in toward the end so they cook just a little bit. Add thyme or whatever spice you like (I bet cilantro or basil would be good). Set aside.

2. (For this next step I just put my broth and veggies in a blender to get them out of the way and use the same pot.) In a saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions, cook until softened. Stir in the flour until absorbed.

3. Blend the broth, veggies, and flour/onion mixture all together. You can do it in 2 batches if needed. Return to the pot and salt to taste. Then add cheese if desired and serve!

The beautiful thing about this recipe is that I do it without really measuring anything and it turns out delicious every time. Enjoy!