Cream of Tomato Soup (with or without seafood)

Cream of Tomato Soup (with or without seafood): Submitted by: Vickie | Date Added: 26 Mar 2015 Ingredients:

1/2 small onion, diced
4 stalks of celery, diced
1 can petite diced tomatoes, with liquid
1 can tomato soup
2 c milk
2 c heavy cream (I use Half & Half)

seasonings to taste:
2 oz chopped basil (1-2 T if using dried basil)
1 t salt
1 t pepper
4 T sugar

(*See Options below to make Shrimp Bisque, Cream of Crab, Cream of Seafood or Cream of Tomato Tortellini Soup.

Cooking Instructions:

1. Saute onion & celery in a 1/2 stick of butter. Add tomatoes & soup and heat.
2. Add cream, milk & seasoning & simmer. Thicken soup as desired.
3. Adjust seasoning to to taste if necessary.

(Cook's note : *Options - This soup is an excellent base for shrimp bisque, cream of crab soup or cream of tortellini soup!

** To make Shrimp Bisque - Bring the basic tomato soup recipe to a low boil (Do not boil or milk will curdle & separate!) Add peeled & peeled, & deveined raw shrimp that has been halved or quartered, depending on the size of the shrimp. Bring & bring to a low boil. Reduce heat and simmer until shrimp turns pink. Add 2 T dry sherry and adjust seasoning, including adding a dash of Old Bay if wanted. If you want to make a seafood bisque, you can also add fresh picked crab meat and raw scallops at the same time you add the raw shrimp! Thicken seafood soup as desired, using a slurry of 2 T cornstarch & cream or Xanthum Gum & cream mixed together & then added to the warm soup to thicken before adding seafood)

*** To make Cream of Tortellini Soup - Bring tomato soup to a low boil. Add fresh tortellini to soup. Reduce heat and simmer until tortellini is cooked. Adjust seasoning to taste)