Crockpot Tomato Soup

Dinnertime goes a lot smoother around here if I meal plan instead of gazing into the fridge around 5pm and trying to figure out what to put together. Pizza, order pizza, my brain will tell me, and I’m trying to avoid that unless I’ve planned for it or life is just so crazy I can’t even make pb&js.

My favorite nights are when I planned ahead and used my crockpot because then dinner is ready to go and there’s not much for me to do at the end of a long day and amid homework, soccer practice, running practice, dance classes, or whatever else my boys have going on.

Now, this particular recipe is one I put off trying because geez, I can just pop open a can of tomato soup, heat it up, and it’s done, but there’s something to be said for homemade and the aroma filling the house all day is so comforting. And while this is not as simple as opening a can of soup, it’s pretty dang close.

Crockpot Tomato Soup

Ingredients

• 32 oz low sodium chicken broth
• 2 28 oz cans whole peeled tomatoes (I went for plain instead of Italian seasoned because my kids tend to like simple flavors)
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 medium sized onion, chopped (you’ll be putting this soup in the blender later, so don’t worry about the size of your pieces)
• 2 cloves of garlic: I used minced, but you could just peel two cloves and toss them in
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

• Place all ingredients (except salt and pepper) in a crockpot. I used my 3 quart crockpot and it filled it all the way up to the top. If you’re going to use an immersion blender instead of a regular blender later, you may want to use a bigger one if you’re like me and would need a little bit of space in order not to make a mess when you blend.
• Heat on low for about 7-8 hours. Your onions will be translucent when it’s ready. If you have less time, heat on high for about 4-5 hours.
• Transfer soup to your blender (you may need to do in batches) and blend until smooth. If you have an immersion blender, you can use that instead.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste. I seasoned each bowl individually, since each member of my family likes a different amount of spice.

Option: I’m the only one in my family who likes creamy tomato soup, so my soup is done here, but if you want creamy, you can add 1/2 cup of heavy cream before you blend your soup.