creamy tomato soup

The last month has been a blur. I feel like we've been cooking and entertaining non-stop, and I'm not complaining because we love cooking and spending time with our family and friends, but it's nice to finally have a lazy Sunday to enjoy at home.

While my sweet husband braved the freezing temperatures and cleared the snow off the driveway, I decided to make tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch. A perfect meal after coming in from the cold!

I have to admit I haven't made many homemade tomato soup recipes, but this one couldn't be easier. And the best part is that it doesn't need chicken stock or cream or anything extra. It's basically just tomatoes and water, but it turns out creamy and delicious!

Creamy Tomato Soup

2 tbs unsalted butter

2 tbs olive oil

1/4 cup finely minced onion

1 large clove garlic, finely minced

1 can (28 oz) whole peeled tomatoes, with juice

1 cup strained tomatoes (or tomato puree)

1 sprig fresh thyme

salt and pepper

In a medium stock pot over medium heat, melt butter and olive oil. Add minced onion and garlic, stir, cook for about 2 minutes or until onions and garlic soften. Add the whole tomatoes with juice, the strained tomatoes, and 2 cups of water. Add sprig of thyme and 1/2 tsp salt. Turn heat to high and let mixture come to a boil. Turn down heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, covered.

Remove the sprig of thyme and discard. Very carefully use a hand blender or immersion blender to blend the mixture in the pot. If you don't have an immersion blender, let the mixture cool and then puree in a blender or food processor. Return to low heat, add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot, along with grilled cheese or crackers.