Tomato Soup-Fresh

This is the BEST TOMATO SOUP ever!! (I actually do not like tomato soup.) I used this recipe the year we had a bumper crop of tomatoes. I lost the recipe and finally found it after a four-yr. search. It is from Taste Of Home. YUMMY!

• Ready In: 55 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 4  cups  de-skinned chopped tomatoes (core them too)
• 1  cup  chopped celery
• 1  small onion (chopped or diced-to your taste)
• 2  cups carrots (diced or sliced)
• 4  teaspoons sugar
• 1⁄2 cup  chopped bell pepper (yuck-I omit these)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon curry powder (your call)
• 4 1⁄2 cups chicken broth (I use chick. bullion cubes-5 of them for 4. c. water)
• 1⁄4 cup flour (I guess cornstarch would work, but it will thicken up more and be shiny.)
•  salt and pepper, to taste- i use seasoned salt and garlic powder also

Directions

1. Sautee carrots, onion,celery and peppers in butter. I start carrots first, as they take a bit longer. I would say 3-4 minutes if you diced carrots. If you sliced carrots, give them about 2-4 minutes extra time, then add the rest of the veggies. In this recipe, undercooking is fine. You can always nuke the soup.
2. Add 4.C chick. broth, tomatoes, and seasonings.
3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes Cool.
4. Use the remaining 1/4 C chick. broth and flour to make a thin paste and stir into cooled mixture. Cook on med. heat until the mixture thickens.
5. I add more butter and eat it all myself.