Tempt My Tummy Tuesday - November 4, 2008

For this Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, I'm going to post one of my family's favorite recipes: Tomato soup.  This is not a soup to make in the summer when you are harvesting all your fresh tomatoes.  No, this is a hearty ham-based soup that uses winter-available ingredients.  It's definitely best in the winter, so I'll be making it later this week when the temperatures dip into the 40s and 50s again.  So, without further ado, let me introduce to you - "Tomato Soup"!

 

Tomato Soup

6-8 strips bacon

1 large, finely chopped onion

1 cup combined melted margarine and bacon fat

1 cup flour

3 quarts ham stock

2 (12 oz) cans tomato paste

1/2 can (46 oz can) V8 juice

1 (28 oz) can whole or diced tomatoes

1 quart half and half

1 pint heavy cream

Smoke flavoring, to taste

Everglades seasoning (may substitute garlic salt, onion salt, black pepper to taste)

Make ham stock by boiling a ham bone with 3 quarts of water for several hours.

Fry bacon till crisp and set aside to drain and cool.

Add margarine to bacon fat to make 1 cup.  Saute onion in margarine and bacon fat until tender.

Add finely crumbled bacon and flour and stir till smooth.

Slowly blend in stock to form a smooth, thin liquid.

Cook on low heat, stirring occasionally for 1-2 hours.

Blend in tomato paste and V8 juice until thoroughly mixed.

Continue to cook on low heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring often.

Stir in tomato pieces, half and half, cream and seasonings.

Cook for 15-20 minutes before serving.

Serves 8-10

 

Check out Tempt My Tummy Tuesday for more great recipe ideas.  (Note: Now that I've got this post completely written, I realized that the theme for this week's Tempt My Tummy Tuesday is quick meals.  Sorry that this isn't a quick meal idea - it takes all day to make - but the leftovers make nice quick meals for a day or two afterwards!)