Recipe: Tomato Soup (using canned tomatoes, serves 2 or 3)

TOMATO SOUP

"A favorite that can be all done within an hour and doesn't taste that way. This is great with corn bread; one could keep one of those little boxes of Martha Washington mix or something around just for this purpose. I would feed (and have fed) this to company, and they get all impressed as though I've done something hard."

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, through the press or minced
big pinch each dried basil and rosemary
ground black pepper (to taste)
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes (pref. no-salt type)
1/4 cup dry sherry
1 tsp honey
4 oz cream cheese (regular or Neufchatel), cut into little bits

Heat the oil over medium heat and add the onion, garlic, herbs and black pepper. Saute until onion starts to color.

Add tomatoes, sherry, honey. Cover and simmer 20 minutes.

Take off heat, add cream cheese, and take a whisk to it all until cream cheese is melted smoothly in.

Makes 2 or 3 servings
Source: Jill Rachel Stuart