We had a lot of soups growing up - the kid next door said that was why we were
all so skinny. I see no problem making a soup the main meal.  Despite growing his own tomatoes,
Dad never made this soup - it's a cracker though (Peter).

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Tomato Herb Soup

Ingredients

2-3 lbs ripe tomatoes
Handful of chopped marjoram (or basil or thyme): 8-10 tablespoons
2 onions
6 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small chili chopped fine
4 tablespoons tomato paste

It's OK if you have a few green tomatoes in the mix.

1 tablespoon sugar (+/-)
2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons Worcester sauce (optional)
1/3 cup cream (or maybe sour cream)
Extra chicken stock cubes and/or salt and pepper to taste

Our little herb garden - marjoram, basil and sage. There is thyme in there somewhere - covered by the basil.

Dad - late summer 1976. (If you look carefully you can see behind him the top of the plastic barrels he used to make plum wine.)

Method

1. Immerse tomatoes in boiling water for a minute or so. Tip off hot water and replace with cold.  With a sharp knife,  strip off skin and remove bit where the stem was attached. Chop roughly.

2. Heat oil in your soup pot and fry onions for 5 minutes or so.  Then add garlic, crushed.

3.  Add the tomatoes to the pot and cook uncovered for 10 minutes or so.

4.  Add the chicken stock, tomato paste, sugar, Worcester sauce and small chili.

5. Puree the mix in a blender, or food processor (but cool a bit first). Or - best of all (saves dishes and time) - use a hand blender right in the soup pot. Don't blend too fine.

6. Reduce heat, add cream and a heavy load of chopped herbs (~ 8-10 tablespoons). Do not boil.  Check for seasoning.  Serve with crusty bread, baked pita bread, or - better yet - garlic bread!

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Use a small, sharp knife.

Butter, crushed garlic and salt = garlic bread.

Last night's dinner - still some left in the fridge.