For as long as I can remember, my Mama has made this soup. She has spoiled me. I can’t even touch the “tomato soup” in a can. What is that stuff anyway? It tastes like a big bowl of nothingness to me. Yuck! (No offense to my husband and dad who actually like that stuff.)
This recipe is SO easy and SO frugal that I just had to share it. I’m tickled that my mom is letting you in on some of her awesome recipes like this and Sausage Macaroni. Can you tell that I was fed well as a child? Annie loves this soup now too! She gobbles it down and begs for more. So, pull up to the computer with your grilled cheese and let’s make soup!
Your base for this soup is a large can of tomato juice. Yes, I do use tomato products in a can. And yes, I am aware that those cans are likely lined with BPA stuff…but I cannot find glass jarred tomato products locally (unless we can them ourselves) and my budget can’t take the hit of ordering them online. So, I eat my tomatoes and pray over dinner. Amen.
What else are you going to need? Flour, sugar, onion powder, salt, pepper, and…………………
Cloves. Yes, I know this sounds really weird. And yes, I know you’re likely making a funny face with your nose all scrunched up. You’re skeptical. I get that…but trust me on this one. The cloves really, REALLY make this soup stand out – it’s special.
If eating cloves is against your religion or the thought of eating cloves makes you want to eat grass (get it?), you can leave them out. But you’ll be eternally sorry for all of eternity…and eternity is a long time.
In a saucepan, pour your tomato juice. Add the flour, one tablespoon at a time, whisking until all the lumps are gone. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring the mixture to a low boil. Turn heat down to low and simmer for about 1 hour, stirring with a whisk occasionally.
When the soup is done, you can strain it and get rid of the cloves. But we like to live dangerously and pick them out as we find them in our bowl…plus, I enjoy sucking on them just a bit before I pitch them. I love the flavor. 😀
Mama’s Tomato Soup with Cloves
- 1 – 46 ounce can Tomato Juice
- 3 to 4 tablespoons flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- 16 whole cloves
- In a saucepan pour tomato juice.
- Add flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, and blend with whisk until combined.
- Add sugar, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Mix well. Add cloves.
- Bring mixture just to boiling, but do not allow to boil. Simmer for about 1 hour to blend flavors.
I found your recipe when hunting for a cream of tomato soup recipe that I copied down years ago. I wanted to see if the blogger had changed anything. My search engine sent me here when I made sure that cloves were part of the search. Your recipe looks delicious and it is quite similar to the one I am looking for.
Cloves is the secret to tomato soup. I grew up loving Campbell’s tomato soup prepared with milk but eventually my tastebuds started disliking the intense sweetness. But, a long internet search led to me finding out that Campbell’s puts cloves in their tomato soup.
Tomato soup and grilled cheese – comfort food extraordinaire!
I hope you enjoy it!
We LOVE homemade tomato soup. My recipe makes a huge amount so we always have leftovers which are sooo good. Today we cooked whole wheat pasta and added that and shredded mozzarella to the leftover soup…gone in a flash! 🙂
Sounds like pizza soup! 🙂
Can you get away with using cornstarch instead of flour? I’ve been looking for a gluten-free tomato soup recipe for my daughter, who misses it sorely.
Sure! Or arrowroot powder would work as well. 🙂
Do you know if this recipe freezes well? My husband doesn’t care for tomato soup and there’s just the two of us.
The only kind of pre-made tomato soup I’ve ever liked is Trader Joe’s tomato and red pepper soup. Must give this a try soon though. I’m trying to make more things at home.
Oh how I would LOVE to have a Trader Joes here…I think I would giggle with delight on a regular basis. 🙂 I have not tried freezing this because we eat it so quickly, but I would think it would do just fine. Thawing might make it a bit thin, but you could always add a bit more flour when reheating.
I have never tried a homemade tomato soup! I don’t like the canned stuff either! ick! I’ll need to try this out 🙂
Double ick!
I wonder what it would taste like with V-8? Have you tried that?
Nope. But since you lack the ability to follow ANY recipe, I’m sure you’ll try it soon. LOL
I LOVE homemade tomato soup. This cloves tip sounds intriguing. I think first I will try those in my own recipe which is here:
http://simplyhomemaking60.blogspot.com/2011/05/it-all-comes-together-tomato-soup.html
And sometime I will try your less complicated version. I just wish my DH liked the homemade tomato soup. Maybe this will help! 😀
Of course, what I have said for years to people who won’t eat something is, “Good! More for me!!” Yeah… I’m that heartless.
I feel the same way about Barry and this soup. More for me….all for me. And some for Annie. 😉
Yum! I love cloves!
Me too!
Ooooooh thank you. Going to try this. My 16yo loves tomato soup and I actually like Campbell’s–at least I remember liking it doused in pepper about 10 years ago until I read in an article about the top 10 un-nutritious foods and there was Campbell’s Soup(translate: any store bought soup that I grew up on). So, I haven’t eaten it in 10 years but I remember liking it. So, I’m going to try this. I did use Cream of Blucky Soup in recipes until about a year ago that it dawned on me that; ‘What’s the difference in not eating soup as soup but using it as a cream base in a recipe?’ So, until I discovered an alternative, which I did, those recipes that had gotten fewer and fewer anyway had to go, too. But, there’s this one and now it’s back and better than ever with homemade cream of homemade something soup!!! woohoo.
I hope you enjoy it! It’s a family favorite. 🙂
I use tomato products in a can, too. That’s probably why one of my sons has a third (partially developed) nipple. 😉
BHAHAHAHAHAHA! Girl, you’re a total hoot. 🙂
This sounds yummy! Thank your mom for me.
I will!
Oh…and powdered cloves? I know whole would be better but I have ground on hand…let me know if it would be a crime to use it… ;0)
We’ve never tried it this way either. 🙂 I would start with a VERY small amount because powdered cloves can sometimes be pretty potent. Then you can add more if you want to later.
I have used powdered cloves … for this recipe use 1/4 tsp. and adjust if it’s not enough for you.
Can you use diluted sauce or paste instead of the juice??
Heather, I’m sure that would work – we’ve just always started with a juice base. If you try it, let me know how it works out!
Will do, thanks!
This is how we do it. I read years ago about using 1 part tomato paste with 4 parts water for homemade tomato juice. It takes 9 oz juice with 36 oz water. Saves about $0.80 (not including you have an extra 3 oz paste) with taken a couple cents extra work.
Genius!
I had a recipe from a family member for tomato soup that turned out to be a flop. The canned tomato soup just has too many weird ingredients- I am excited to try your mom’s soup- thanks for sharing with all of us! 🙂
You’re welcome! I hope you love it as much as I do. 🙂
We pray over food too. 😀 We do what we can within our budget, and get over the rest.
I think it’s sad that so many people skip over blessing the food. I’m glad you are on the same train! 🙂