Easy-to-Freeze Tomato Soup

Even though the weather is starting to warm up in some areas, there are a lot of you out there who still gaze out your window and see mounds of snow beckoning to be shoveled.  Once you come in from the cold, you probably don't want to spend hours cooking a meal, so how about pulling a homemade soup from the freezer that you can zap in the microwave and have warming you up in only a few minutes.  This homemade Tomato Soup recipe is a great start on your Once-A-Month Cooking venture.

Homemade Tomato Soup

• 6 - 16 oz. cans of tomatoes (or 12 c. fresh tomatoes)
• 3 small onions, diced
• 3 T. butter or oil
• 6 c. milk
• 3 t. basil
• 3 t. parsley
• 2 t. garlic
• 3 t. salt
• 1 t. black pepper

Puree tomatoes and onions.  Melt butter in a very large pot.  Add pureed tomatoes and onions and simmer gently, stirring often, for 2 or 3 minutes.  Mix in milk and spices and bring to a rapid boil, stirring occasionally.  Simmer on medium-low heat for twelve to fifteen minutes or until creamy.

This recipe makes approximately 12 servings.  For our family, I divide it into three freezer-safe containers or freezer-safe Ziploc bags.  To prepare after frozen, microwave on high for 3 to 4 minutes, pausing to stir once or twice.  If your freezer-safe container or bag is not microwavable, simply place it under running hot water for a couple of minutes, or until you can easily dump the contents into a microwave safe bowl.  You can also pour contents into a pot and heat on the stove-top if preferred.

This recipe goes really well with grilled ham and cheese sandwiches, served over ravioli or tortellini, or alone with crackers.