Quick Tomato-Basil Soup

It is cold in my neighborhood, just the day for a hot dish of soup. I tasted this soup at a church function last year and had to track down the recipe. It was kindly shared with a disclaimer--it makes a big batch said Cori. Big batch was not the word for it, I did not have a pan big enough to cook it in, and I have big pans. So I went to work and cut the recipe down to a manageable size for two people. After a few revisions I think I have a yummy fresh tasting tomato soup. It is a pantry meal and you really can have it on the table in 30 minutes. Serve with grilled cheese sandwiches and an apple slice. I think this is the perfect meal.

Quick Tomato-Basil
Sauté ¾ cup diced onion in 1 tablespoon olive oil till soft.
Add three (14 oz) cans of Italian Mix stewed tomatoes (put in food processor or blender till smooth),
16 oz. tomato puree
1 quart chicken stock
1½ teaspoon basil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
Bring to a boil and simmer at least 10 minutes, add 1 cup cream and heat.
Check the freshness of your spices--how long have they really been in your pantry? I bought a new small jar of basil--it smelled so much fresher than what I had in the pantry! This soup made a yummy meal with a grilled cheese sandwich on sourdough bread. Or throw in some of the kids fishy cheese crackers!

Small batch
½ cup onion
2 (14 oz) cans Italian Mix Stewed tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
1 small can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon basil
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ to ¾ cup cream