Thee Best Homemade Tomato Soup

I had a giant bowl full of different varieties and sizes of tomatoes that we picked from the garden this weekend that needed to be used asap. I thought I'd make some more salsa, but when I sat down at the computer to look up recipes, I came across one for tomato soup. The rain was beating down on the windows, and the thought of warm, delicious soup was too tempting to pass up. It is fall after all. So let soup season begin! And what a way to ring it in. This is thee BEST tomato soup I have ever tasted in my life.

Thee Best Homemade Tomato Soup

Ingredients

8 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 Tbsp minced garlic
2 medium chopped onions
8 whole cloves
4 cups chicken broth
3 Tbsp fresh chopped basil
4 Tbsp butter
4 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper, or to taste
2 tsp white sugar, or to taste
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. In a large stock pot saute garlic in olive oil.
2. Add onions and saute until tender.
3. Add chopped tomatoes (with skins and seeds) and bring to a boil.
4. Add chicken broth, basil, and cloves and cook for about 20 minutes.
5. Run everything through a blender, then place in a large bowl and set aside.
6. In the now empty stock pot, melt butter over medium heat.
7. Stir in the flour to make a roux, cooking until the roux is a medium brown. Gradually whisk in a bit of the tomato mixture, so that no lumps form, then stir in the rest, a bit at a time.
8. Stir in sugar, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, balsamic vinegar, and cream. Heat through, and serve.

*makes about 12 servings