1 medium onion
2 celery stalks
1 carrot 1 T. oil
In a big soup pot, sauté the onion in oil, adding the celery and carrot when
the onion is partly cooked. Cook together until the onion is soft.
3/4 t. oregano (1/4 t for cream soup)
1 1/2 t basil (1/2 t for cream)
4 c cut-up tomatoes. (fresh if you have them or canned)
Add oregano, basil, and tomatoes to the pot and simmer gently until the
tomatoes are very soft. If you want a smooth creamy texture, puree the soup.
(using a food mill for pureeing will remove the tomato seeds and skins,
making a velvety soup. I just use a food processor and puree the tomatoes
before putting them in)
2-3 cups hot vegetable (or chicken) broth
3/4 t. salt >pepper to taste
Add the hot stock (with 1 c. dried skim milk for cream soup), adjusting the
amount to get the quantity and thickness you want. Bring to boil (do not
boil cream soup–just heat thoroughly) and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.