you say tomato, i say tomato.

here you have it...

Tomato Soup

(for those who hate tomato soup*)

-2 T olive oil

-1/4 C red onion

-1/2 t chili pepper

-1/4 t oregano

-1 clove garlic

-2 cans chicken broth

-1 can tomato puree

-4 oz. (half a bar) of cream cheese

Heat the oil in a saucepan and saute onion for 5 minutes until soft & transluscent. Remove from heat. Add spices, garlic & broth. Return to heat & bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered (believe me.) for a good 5 minutes.

Take out 1/2 C of the liquid mixture & add it to bowl of cream cheese. Whisk until its nice & soft & smooth. Return to pan & add puree. Simmer for another 15 minutes.

Pour into bowl & serve with a toasty cheese sandwich. (ya ya, its grilled, but I've never really caught onto that. we call it toasty cheese in our family.)

Now be careful, make sure you get puree & not sauce or paste. They are, believe it or not, very different in texture & will make it a different consistency.

Oh, and when you make it, be sure to snap a picture. We were too eager to eat it.

*fyi, my husband no longer fits in this category.