Tomato Macaroni Soup

Hungry for more? This recipes was featured in a podcast episode!

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This recipe was shared by our podcast guest, Kerrie Penney - a special soup her mom made for her as a child. It's actually less of a recipe and more of a guide to a pot of delicious comfort. Kerrie recommends using fresh garden tomatoes if you've got them, but canned will do as well.

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook time: 1 hr for tomato base; about 20 mins more to finish the soup

Yield: 2.5 quart-size jars of tomato base; two large pots of soup

Ingredients

For the tomato base:

• approx. 6 cups tomatoes, roughly chopped

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 3 tbsp butter

• 3 cups onion, diced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 6 stalks celery, chopped

• salt & pepper to taste

• 1 tsp paprika

• 3 tsp sugar

• 1 cup wine, white or rosé (optional, but recommended. Cooking sherry will also work)

• 3 bay leaves

• a little dried parsley

• a shake or two of Magi sauce

For the white sauce:

• 3 tbsp butter

• 2 tbsp flour

• a pinch of baking soda

• several generous grinds of pepper

• 3 cups milk

To finish the soup:

• 1 cup elbow macaroni (or other pasta of your choice)

  
  

Directions

Make the tomato base:

1. Place a large stock pot over low heat. Add the butter and olive oil.

2. When sizzling, stir in the onions until tender and transparent. Then add the garlic and celery, stir.

3. Season generously with pepper and salt, and the paprika.

4. When the celery begins to soften, add the tomatoes, sugar and wine.

5. Now toss in 3 bay leaves (they will be removed later), parsley and a shake or two of Magi.

6. Taste and season to taste.

7. Simmer with the lid off on low for about an hour.

8. When the tomatoes are mostly broken down, turn the burner off and allow it to cool.

9. Run the mixture through a food mill as Kerrie does, or give it a whiz with an immersion blender. How smooth or chunky is up to you. You can now freeze it (thaw and reheat when ready to make soup).

   
   

   Or continue on the make the soup...

1. Boil a cup of macaroni until el dente. Drain and set aside.

2. Measure 1 cup of tomato base for one pot of soup.

Make the white sauce:

1. In a medium pot, melt 3 tbsp butter, then add 2 tbsp flour and stir until lightly brown.

2. To the roux, add a pinch of baking soda and several generous grinds of pepper.

3. Slowly add the milk over medium-low heat, whisking until smooth with no lumps.

4. Pour the drained macaroni into the white sauce.

5. Slowly add the tomato mixture into the whit sauce and macaroni. Stir gently until it's a rosy-cream colour.

6. Taste. Season. Serve.

Zhuzh it up!

• As mentioned above, this can be made with fresh or canned tomatoes.

• This soup can be made to suit your tastes and what you have available. If you like basil, add that in. If you don't have garlic, leave it out.

• The tomato base is also delicious on pasta or as pizza sauce.

  
  

This amazing recipe was written by Kerrie Penney and her mom.