Let’s pretend it’s still March shall we, because that is when I prepared this comforting bit of soup. March can be a month of maybes, a time of indecision. Is it spring or is it still winter? The thermometer may reach into the 50′s during the days, beckoning you outdoors, only to fall once again below freezing at night, forcing you to pull on you woolen socks to complete your wintertime, pajama ensemble. It all can be a too much to confront.

When I am tired, maybe a tad lazy, and find myself in the kitchen with nary an idea of what to prepare, this soup is ideal. Cream of Tomato Soup is rich, calming, and satisfying, and can be made with what most of us have in the larder on a good day. It is the apotheosis of comfort food. Macaroni and cheese, scrambled eggs, butterscotch pudding– come to think of it, most any dairy-laden foods mark the cornerstones of many American comforts. And not far down the list for most people is a gooey grilled cheese sandwich dunked in a bowl of tomato soup.

This combination was surely a popular lunch choice from my past. The soup may not have been homemade at the time, but it was still as comforting as a warm embrace. When I was young, and spending the day at my grandma’s house, she often would make this meal for me. Grandma often loosened the concentrated soup with a cup of milk, not the suggested cup of water. Even coming out of a can, yet thickened with milk, the soup seemed somehow decadent. And the deep pink hue was a delight for the girl who, like so many of peers, loved that Peptobismal shade.

This recipe maintains that hue, though now it is more adult, and slightly salmon-colored in nature. It is important to add the 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, to ensure a sturdier base of milk when the tomatoes are added, or else the result will be a curdled mess. Creamy, yet light, and mild in flavor, this soup makes a perfect compliment to, you guessed it– a grilled cheese sandwich.

Cream of Tomato Soup

3 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups milk
1/2 bay leaf
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 large (28 oz.) can tomatoes, with juice

In a dutch oven, melt butter. Add the onion and cook over medium heat until softened. Sprinkle flour over butter and onion, continue to stir, cooking for 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk, bay leaf, sugar, and salt. Continue to cook until mixture thicken slightly. Stir in the baking soda.

Crush the tomatoes with your hands, and add them to the soup along with the juice. Bring soup just to a simmer, careful to not scorch the milk-based soup. Remove from heat, and process until smooth, with a hand blender, or regular blender. Andy froth that is created will subside. Reheat soup to simmer, and serve.