Baking the tomatoes adds depth to the flavor of this soup.
Ingredients
- tomatoes: 2 cans (29 ounce cans, diced)
- stalks celery: 2 piece (chopped)
- garlic: 2 clove (minced)
- red bell pepper: 1 piece (chopped)
- margarine: 2 Tbsp
- mushrooms: 0.5 pound (chopped)
- onion: 1 piece (diced)
- all-purpose flour: 2 Tbsp
- white sugar: 1 tsp
- beef stock: 8 cups
- basil: 0.5 tsp (dried)
- rosemary: 0.5 tsp (dried)
- thyme: 0.5 tsp (dried)
- cream cheese: 1 pack (3 ounce pack)
- salt and pepper: (to taste)
- fresh parsley: 3 Tbsp (chopped)
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Place the tomatoes with juice in a well buttered oven-proof baking dish. Mix in celery, garlic, and red pepper. Cover, and bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 25 minutes.
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In a large stock pot, melt butter or margarine over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and onions, and cook and stir for about 8 minutes.
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Slowly stir in flour and sugar. Add beef stock, basil, rosemary, and thyme, stirring until soup comes to a boil. Add the contents of the baked tomato pan from the oven, and bring to a boil. Cover, and simmer the soup for about 30 minutes.
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Meanwhile, in a food processor, blend the cream cheese until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Slowly stir the cream cheese into the soup. Garnish with chopped parsley.