Out of all of the different types of tomato plants we planted this year, it seems that our heirloom tomato varieties have out-shown their competitors. I am not complaining though, because I love the different color and shaped summer delicacies! We seemed to have quite a few today so I decided to make a summer fresh soup using these bright tomatoes and some fresh basil. If you don’t have heirloom tomatoes to make a sauce from, any tomatoes should work fine as well. This recipe is a small enough quantity that it can be made for a large dinner, or two. Or process it in a water bath canner to have on hand for those cold months that will be here before we know it!

We had this soup for lunch the other day. I threw some spinach in the hot soup and ate with grilled cheese. It was a wonderful! Enjoy! -Shelley.

Heirloom Tomato Basil Soup
*Makes approximately 4 quarts

4 quarts {16 cups} fresh heirloom tomato sauce {or other varieties of tomatoes}
2 cups {firmly packed} fresh basil, finely chopped
1/4 c sugar
1/8 c salt
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 t black pepper
1/2 t onion powder

If canning this soup you will also need to add to each jar before processing:

White distilled vinegar – 2 T/quart or 1 T/pint

Combine all ingredients in a large stock pot and bring to a boil, simmer for 20 minutes. If processing in a canner, bring back up to a boil and fill sterilized jars with soup. Place 1 T of vinegar/pint and 2 T vinegar/quart in the jars soup. Wipe rims of jars with a clean, hot rag. Adjust 2 piece caps and tighten *just* until finger tight. Process in a hot water bath canner: pints 35 minutes and quarts 45 minutes. Carefully remove jars from the canner when finished processing and place on a towel-lined surface. Place another towel over the hot jars and allow to sit until completely cooled, 12-24 hours. Once cooled, check to make sure jars have sealed by gently pressing in the center of the lid. If it pops back, place in fridge and use soon. If sealed, label and date the jar and place in storage for later use.

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