Creamy Tomato Basil Soup (Oamc) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Cooking day
2 medium onions, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
4 leaves fresh basil
1 bay leaf
2 (28 ounce) cans whole tomatoes, undrained
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Serving day
2 cups nonfat milk
1 teaspoon baking soda

Preparation

Combine onions, celery, basil, bay leaf and tomatoes in a stock pot. Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 45-60 minutes.
Remove bay leaf. Puree tomato mixture in a blender and then strain through a fine sieve or colander.
Return tomato mixture to stockpot.
In a small mixing bowl, blend flour and melted butter into a smooth paste, then add a small amount of the tomato mixture. Stir until smooth.
Gradually add the flour mixture to the stockpot, stirring continuously to avoid scorching and lumps.
Add sugar, salt, and pepper.
If freezing ahead: Cool completely. Freeze in a gallon size freezer bag. Serving day: Thaw completely. Reheat soup in stockpot, adding milk and baking soda. Heat through but do not boil.
If serving immediately: add 2 cups nonfat milk and 1 t baking soda. Stir until well mixed then serve.