CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP

Steps:

• Place a strainer over a large measuring cup. Drain and SAVE the juice from both stewed and diced tomatoes. Press down on the tomatoes with the back of a spoon to drain more juice. Measure 3 cups juice, discard excess or save for another use. (Bloody Mary anyone?) Set aside both juice and tomatoes.
• Melt the butter in a large pot, sprinkle in the flour; stir and cook 1 minute. Add the brown sugar, tomato paste and allspice; stir.
• Whisk in the chicken broth gradually; then add the reserved tomato juice and both kinds of tomatoes.
• Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce to a simmer and cook 10 minutes.
• Puree with an immersion blender, food processor or blender. Don't fill more than halfway if using a food processor or blender and cover with a kitchen towel before turning it on. Leave as chunky as you like and call it a bisque or puree smooth for cream soup.
• Pour through a strainer into the same pot.
• Heat cream/milk in microwave until steaming, stir into soup. Heating the cream/milk helps keep it from curdling.
• Bring back to simmer. Do not boil after adding cream/milk - it will curdle. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper, more cream/milk or more sugar if desired.
• Pureeing tomato seeds can make the soup a little bitter; adding a little more brown sugar will remove the bitterness.