Fresh and Tasty Tomato Soup

Here's what you'll need to make this wonderful fresh and tasty soup.

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, sliced

pinch of salt

2 lbs tomatoes (about 10 med tomatoes)

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 tbsp uncooked white rice, this will thicken your soup

sprig of fresh thyme 
3-4 fresh basil leaves 

1/2 bay leaf 

Place the butter and olive oil in a heavy pot. I used my Dutch oven. To this add your pealed and sliced onions. Gently cook them over a medium heat while you wash and core your tomatoes. 
When your onions are nice and soft, toss the garlic into the pot and cook for a two minutes more.
Now, add the chopped tomatoes, salt, rice, bay leaf and your fresh herbs to the pot of onions.  Cover and simmer, stirring every now and then until the tomatoes are well cooked and break apart easily.

As I mentioned the rice is the thickening agent in this soup.  It does a good job, and it keeps the fat and calorie count down a little. However if you don't mind the calories you can substitute cream for the water. The calorie count goes up, but you will get a very fresh and tasty bowl of cream of tomato soup that quite frankly leaves Campbell's in the dust. 
Now you are going to add~ 

1 cup water or cream if you don't mind the ᑕᗩᒪoᖇieᔕ :)

1 more tbsp butter
another pinch of salt

Cover and cook for a few more minutes to melt the butter and to ensure that your rice is nice and tender.
Take the soup off the heat and remove the bay leaf and herbs. Puree it to your liking. I used my Ninja, but depending how thick or chunky you might like it an immersion blender would work fine too. 

Enjoy your soup with a salad or a grilled cheese sandwich.