BEST LENTIL SOUP

BEST LENTIL SOUP RECIPE
I think this is my favorite one.  So good! Good comments on the website.  I took the suggestion of one person and did 1 can regular diced tomatoes and 1 with chiles and didn't add red pepper flakes.  Just the right spice level.  Could easily be doubled.  I thought the kale would cook down,but it didn't so next time need to chop or cut smaller. This is what the person put who posted the recipe:

https://cookieandkate.com/best-lentil-soup-recipe/

This simple vegan lentil soup recipe comes together quickly with mostly pantry ingredients. Be sure to have your ingredients prepped and ready before you start cooking! Recipe yields four large bowls of soup, or six more modest servings.

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil - didn't add
1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon curry powder
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, lightly drained (1 regular, 1 with chilies)
1 cup brown or green lentils, picked over and rinsed
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water - don't remember adding this since I had already precooked lentils
1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
Pinch of red pepper flakes - didn't add
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup chopped fresh collard greens or kale, tough ribs removed (chop small)
1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice (½ to 1 medium lemon), to taste (had a fresh lemon)

Warm the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. One-fourth cup olive oil may seem like a lot, but it adds a lovely richness and heartiness to this nutritious soup.
Once the oil is shimmering, add the chopped onion and carrot and cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened and is turning translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic, cumin, curry powder and thyme. Cook until fragrant while stirring constantly, about 30 seconds. Pour in the drained diced tomatoes and cook for a few more minutes, stirring often, in order to enhance their flavor.
Pour in the lentils, broth and the water. Add 1 teaspoon salt and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper. Raise heat and bring the mixture to a boil, then partially cover the pot and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender but still hold their shape.
Transfer 2 cups of the soup to a blender. Securely fasten the lid, protect your hand from steam with a tea towel placed over the lid, and purée the soup until smooth. Pour the puréed soup back into the pot. (Or, use an immersion blender to blend a portion of the soup.)
Add the chopped greens and cook for 5 more minutes, or until the greens have softened to your liking. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Taste and season with more salt, pepper and/or lemon juice until the flavors really sing. For spicier soup, add another pinch or two of red pepper flakes.
Serve while hot. Leftovers will keep well for about 4 days in the refrigerator, or can be frozen for several months (just defrost before serving).

SLOW COOKER/INSTANT POT WHITE BEAN SOUP

SLOW COOKER OR INSTANT POT WHITE BEAN SOUP
https://www.budgetbytes.com/slow-cooker-white-bean-soup/

We really liked this.  We had a 2# bag of navy beans so we doubled.  I like to presoak the beans and then cook for about 2 minutes in instant pot and then rerinse again.  Then make soup as usual. I think this helps with flactuation.  We didn't have quite enough of the carrots and celery so might be enough next time or it could have more. Made Easy Crusty Vegan Bread recipe.  Went really well with it.  Did in instant pot for 25 minutes and added less water because they were presoaked and cooked.  I just put enough until it covered the beans.  Did have some vegetable stock in the fridge so added as much as I had.  Forgot to add salt at the end, so we just put some in each individual serving.

2 Tbsp olive oil - didn’t add
4 cloves garlic - used minced 
1 yellow onion 
4 carrots (about 1/2 lb.) 
4 ribs celery 
1 lb. dry navy beans
1 bay leaf 
1 tsp dried rosemary - 1 drop essential oil
1/2 tsp dried thyme - 1 drop essential oil
1/2 tsp smoked paprika 
Freshly cracked black pepper (15-20 cranks of a pepper mill) 
6 cups water 
2 tsp salt, or to taste 

INSTRUCTIONS
Mince the garlic, dice the onion, slice the celery, and peel and slice the carrots. Add the olive oil, garlic, onion, celery, and carrots to a large (5qt or larger) slow cooker.
Give the beans a quick rinse in a colander and then add them to the slow cooker, along with the bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, paprika, and some freshly cracked pepper.
Add six cups of water to the slow cooker and stir to combine the ingredients. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 8-9 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.
After 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high, stir the soup and begin to mash the beans against the side of the slow cooker to thicken the soup. Once the soup is thickened to your liking, start adding salt to taste. Begin with 1/2 tsp and add more until the soup tastes flavorful to you. I used about 2 tsp total.  Serve the soup hot with crackers or crusty bread for dipping.

ROASTED GARLIC

ROASTED GARLIC
https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2014/02/11/roast-garlic/

Used this for the pesto chicken pizza.  Yum!  Used leftovers on cheese bread.  We all liked!  Takes 40 minutes to cook so I like to make day before I need it.  Kept in fridge.

• heads of garlic (I like to do 5-6 at a time)
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• salt
• pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Using a sharp knife, slice off the top of the garlic heads to expose the cloves inside. Grab a round or square cake pan (I usually use a 9-inch one) and pour 2 Tablespoons of olive oil inside. Swirl it around the bottom of the pan to coat evenly. Place garlic heads inside, exposed side up.
3. Sprinkle the garlic heads with a little salt and pepper. Drizzle 1 more Tablespoon of olive oil on top. You want them to have a nice coating of oil so they don't burn easily. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and roast in the preheated oven for 40 minutes.
4. Your house will smell amazing! Remove from the oven. To remove the roasted cloves,  grab the bottom of the garlic head and gently squeeze until the cloves pop out - they will be mushy and ready to chop up for your recipe. Or spread onto a slice of crusty bread or pizza crust before baking. Yum!

PUT-IT-ON-ALLTHETHINGS CILANTRO RANCH DRESSING

https://www.blessthismessplease.com/put-it-on-allthethings-cilantro-ranch-dressing-and-sauce/

Jenn made this dressing when we were in Washington.  It was so delish!  We were dipping it with Taquitos.  Would be good on salad, burritos, quesidallas, burgers etc.

Put-It-On-Allthethings Cilantro Ranch Dressing And Sauce

Makes 2 cups

• 1 cup bottled salsa verde
• 1 (0.4 oz) packet buttermilk ranch dressing mix (or the homemade equivalent)
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic, about a clove
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons sugar or honey
• Few shakes of your favorite hot sauce (optional)

1. Add all the ingredients to the jar of your blender and blend until smooth. Store in a covered air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week (a mason jar works great for this!). Enjoy on everything.

CHICKEN TERIYAKI

http://www.thirtyhandmadedays.com/easy-and-healthy-slow-cooker-chicken-teriyaki-recipe/

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN TERIAYKI
This was super easy and good.

UPDATE: Abagail said we should have this ever week.  Everyone loved it.  Had with rice and fresh cooked vegetables (broccoli & corn).  We used IKEA bowls.  Had in the instant pot all day.  Then cut up chicken and stirred with sauce while the rice was cooking.

• 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts (3 breasts)
• 1 pound fresh or frozen stir fry vegetables*
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (didn't add)

1. Add all ingredient to slow cooker.
2. Cook on low setting for 6-8 hours.
3. Shred chicken and mix with sauce in slow cooker.

NOTES

*This recipe works great with any kind of fresh or frozen vegetables! My favorite fresh mix is sugar snap peas, sliced red peppers, and shredded carrots (note: fresh broccoli doesn't freeze well). If you prefer al dente vegetables, wait to add them until the last 30 minutes of cooking.

CHICKEN NOODLE STEW

CHICKEN NOODLE STEW
Yum!  Yum!  Perfect comfort food.  We put on top of mashed potatoes.  Perfect!  Plan on 1 hour to make.  A great 1 bowl meal.  Would be a good one to take to others (taking in a meal).

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/chicken-noodle-stew/

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped yellow or white onion (about 1 medium onion)
• 1 cup chopped carrots (about 2-3 peeled carrots)
• 1 cup chopped celery (about 2-3 stalks)
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 16 ounces frozen egg noodles (like Reames brand) - found at WinCo (12 oz bag would be okay)
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 3-4 cups cooked, chopped chicken (a rotisserie chicken works great)

1. In a 5- or 6-quart pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat until hot and rippling. Add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are slightly tender, 5-6 minutes. Stir in the salt, pepper and chicken broth and bring to a boil.
2. Add the frozen noodles and simmer for 18 minutes (or according to package directions), until they are mostly tender (they’ll cook a few more minutes in the next step).
3. In a liquid measuring cup or blender, whisk or blend the milk and flour together until smooth (no lumps!). Whisk the mixture quickly into the soup and simmer for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Stir in the frozen peas and cooked chicken and heat through. Add additional salt and pepper to taste before serving. The soup will thicken as it sits (and if there are leftovers, they’ll definitely thicken up even more in the refrigerator).

CHEESE-STUFFED GARLIC BREADSTICKS

Cheese-Stuffed Garlic Breadsticks
These turned out better than I thought I would.  We all really liked them.  They were easy and it quick to make.  I had some shredded cheese I needed to use so I used that.  A cheese stick would work better.  I ended up rolling out all the dough then putting on butter and cheese on half of it.  Then folded over and cut into sticks and then sealed sides.  Worked pretty well.

UPDATE: next time try with no garlic.  I reheated the leftovers in the oven wrapped in foil.  They were so yummy!  Works so much better with a cheese stick.

1 Tbsp. yeast
1 c. very warm water
1 t. sugar
1 t. salt
2 T. olive oil
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 1/2 c. unbleached white flour
1-2 c. mozzarella cheese
garlic powder (used Johnny's)
1/3 c. melted butter

Combine yeast, water, and sugar.  Let set a few minutes to activate yeast.
Mix yeast mixture with salt, olive oil, and both flours.
Knead into soft dough.  Let rest 5-10 minutes.
Separate dough into 12 balls.  Roll balls into breadsticks.
Flatten breadsticks with rolling pin.

Cut cheese into small strips.  (String cheese works great, too!)Lay cheese on breadstick.  Sprinkle with garlic powder.

Fold dough around cheese.  Seal well!
Brush melted butter on each breadstick.  Sprinkle with garlic powder (again).
Allow to rise 5-10 minutes.
Bake at 450° for 12 minutes.
Brush on more melted butter.  Serve warm.

ZUCCHINI CASSEROLE

ZUCCHINI CASSEROLE
1st McCleve cookbook pg. 57
Easy - cooked on the stove.  We liked on top of a piece of toast.

3 T oil (or less)
1 clove garlic
1/4 c water
1/8 tsp pepper
2 T green chili
1/2 c minced onion
2 - 8 oz tomato sauce
1 tsp salt 
1 1/2 # zucchini, sliced

Place oil in pan.  Saute onion and garlic together until tender.  Add tomato sauce and water.  Heat until boiling.  Add the rest.  Simmer over low heat until squash is tender.  4-6 servings.  Grate cheese on top.  It takes 30 minutes for preparation.

CASHEW CHICKEN

Everyone loved, loved this!  There wasn't much left.  If have company over..double recipe.  Found the chicken in the freezer section - used the whole bag.  Think this would be a good recipe to replace chicken with beef and bell pepper with broccoli.  We liked without the green onions.  Took about 30-40 minutes from start to finish.  Good with steamed broccoli, peas and corn.

UPDATE: Would have this any day over Safeway chinese.  Yum!  Good with chicken breast as well.  I didn't have green onions so used celery (added with bell pepper).  Also did some slivered almonds because I only had salted cashews (did any some).  Used Soba noodles (3 pak).  Didn't chop up water chestnuts.  Would be a good meal to take to a family.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/cashew-chicken/

Prep: 5 Minutes	Level: Easy
Cook: 10 Minutes	Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon Rice Vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon Packed Brown Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Oyster Sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon Toasted Sesame Oil
• 3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
• 6 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs, Cut Into Small Cubes
• Kosher Salt To Taste
• 1 Tablespoon Chopped Garlic
• 1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Ginger
• 1 whole Green Bell Pepper, Chopped
• 1/4 cup Sherry Or Chicken Broth
• 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
• 1/2 cup Drained Canned Water Chestnuts, Coarsley Chopped
• 1 cup Unsalted Cashews (be Sure To Use Unsalted)
• 2 whole Green Onions, Thinly Sliced
• Cooked Rice Or Noodles, For Serving (if Desired)

Preparation

In a bowl, mix together the soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, oyster sauce, and sesame oil. Set aside. 

Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over high heat and add the chicken in a single layer. Sprinkle with a small amount of salt, then leave it alone for at least a couple of minutes to give the chicken a chance to brown. When the chicken has turned golden, stir it around so that it can brown on all sides. Throw in the garlic and ginger and stir to combine. Stir in the bell pepper and let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

While the pan is still hot, pour in the sherry. Stir it around, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen all the flavorful bits. Turn the heat to medium-low and pour in the sauce mixture, then mix the cornstarch with 1/4 cup water to make a slurry and pour it in. Stir the sauce for 1 to 2 minutes to thicken, then add the water chestnuts and cashews and stir to coat everything with the sauce, adding a splash of water if the sauce is too thick.

Finally, sprinkle on the green onions. Serve with cooked rice or noodles.


CHINESE CASHEW CHICKEN 
https://www.melskitchencafe.com/chinese-cashew-chicken-30-minute-meal/

We all loved this especially Scott.  I doubled the recipe so we would have enough for lunches.  I also added celery, frozen broccoli and sugar snap peas.  I also used roasted garlic.  If the cashews are salted - rinse them first.  I roasted them by toss them in 1-2 tsp oil and roast at 200 for 5-10 minutes.  Had pineapple on the side.  Would be good with yakisoba noodles.  Abagail didn't like the cashews so next time I will not add and just have everyone put some on their dish if they want.

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2- to 1-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 to 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1/2 to 1 tablespoon grated or finely chopped fresh ginger (or ginger paste from a tube)
• 2 green bell peppers, seeded, cored and diced into bite-size pieces
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups roasted cashews (I prefer unsalted)

SAUCE:

• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup oyster sauce
• 3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

1. Place the diced chicken in a medium bowl and toss with the 1 teaspoon cornstarch and 1 teaspoon baking soda. Let the mixture rest for 15 minutes while you prep the other ingredients.
2. Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a bowl or liquid measuring cup. Set aside.
3. Rinse the chicken in a colander and pat dry (I leave the rinsed chicken in the colander, grab a bunch of paper towels and dab all over the surface, kind of turning the chicken as I pat dry).
4. In a large, 12-inch nonstick skillet heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. You want the skillet very hot.
5. Add the chicken in a single layer and stir constantly; the chicken should turn white as it cooks – but not get overly brown. Let it cook for 1-2 minutes (it’s ok if it isn’t fully cooked yet; it will cook more in the next few steps).
6. Scoot the chicken to the edges of the pan. Add another drizzle (a teaspoon or so) of olive oil to the center of the skillet.
7. Add the garlic and ginger to the center of the skillet and mash gently as it cooks, about 30 seconds.
8. Add the green peppers; stir to combine the chicken, garlic/ginger, and peppers.
9. Whisk the sauce to recombine, and add it to the skillet. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened, the chicken is cooked through, and the peppers are crisp-tender.
10. Remove from the heat, add the cashews, and serve over hot, cooked rice (if desired).

QUICK BASIC SALSA

QUICK BASIC SALSA

Lisa made this for a party we had.  It was yummy and disappeared quickly.

This is a great salsa for any occasion. Use in burritos, tacos or with your favorite tortilla chips. It's really easy and tastes great!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups seeded, chopped tomatoes (6-7 medium tomatoes)
• the leaves from one bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped*
• 6 cloves fresh chopped garlic
• 1/2 an onion chopped
• 1 jalapeno, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• about 1 tablespoon lime juice

• Prep Time: 10 minutes

Mix all ingredients until well incorporated. Refrigerate overnight for maximum flavor.

*If you grab a handful of leaves from the top of the bunch and pull them out firmly, you will get mostly leaves. If a few stems are in there, it's okay.

None

Just ok. -Romas or sweet but firm hot house tomatoes. -Cut the cilantro and garlic in half. -Nix the ubiquitous jalapeno for a serrano or two. Refined heat. -Double the lime juice. -Add a tablespoon of wine or rice vinegar. Adds a tang and extents shelf life. -1/4 tsp white pepper, adds different kind of heat. What's unique about this salsa you get all five flavors. Sweet. Sour. Hot. Bitter. Umami.

COWBOY OR COWGIRL PIE

COWBOY OR COWGIRL PIE - FREEZER MEAL

http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/freezer-meal-recipes-cowboy-pie-recipe/

We all liked this.  Used stew meat and had already cooked the day before in crockpot with some beef broth.  Was easy to put together.  Would love to try the cowgirl version.  Bet it would be super yummy!  Both Scott and Abagail really like this.  Goes well with cottage cheese and a fruit or veggie.

UPDATE:  My family likes the crust so well, I did a crust on the bottom (cooked for about 10 minutes before adding mixture) and on the top.

1 onion, chopped fine
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped
1 T oil
1 T chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp salt
---
1# cooked roast beef, cut into 1" pieces (or chicken if doing cow girl)
1 can black beans, rinsed (or pinto if doing cowgirl)
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
1/2 cup beef broth (or chicken if doing cowgirl)
2 T cornstarch (forgot to add once and it still turned out okay)
---
1 or 2 pie crust

Preheat oven to 425. Microwave onion, bell pepper, oil, chili powder, garlic, and salt in a large bowl, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.

1. Stir in beef, beans, corn, barbecue sauce, broth, and cornstarch. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to 9-inch pie plate.
2. Carefully lay pie crust over top. Tuck over-hanging dough underneath itself to be flush with the rim of the pie plate. Cut three 1-inch steam vents into top of dough.
3. Bake until filling is bubbling and crust is browned, about 25 minutes, rotating halfway through. Let cool slightly and serve.
Preparing for the Freezer:
4. Before baking, wrap the pie with a few layers of plastic wrap, then cover with foil and label. Freeze.
Prepare after Freezing:
5. Preheat oven to 425. Keep the pie frozen. Unwrap the pie, then re-cover with one piece of foil. Place the pie on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake covered for about 30 minutes, until filling is warmed through. Then remove foil and bake for about 25 minutes, until the crust is browned. Let cool slightly and serve.

Notes

Cowgirl Pie: Substitute 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken for roast beef, 1 can pinto beans (rinsed) for black beans, and 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth for beef broth.

- See more at: http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/freezer-meal-recipes-cowboy-pie-recipe/#sthash.69ShDcyz.dpuf

TOMATO SOUP

• Plant based roasted tomato soup
• Took awhile to make but so worth it. Yummy! Can easily double or triple recipe.
• 
  
• 15 whole roma tomatoes
• 3 whole heads garlic peels left on
• 1 whole onion cut into eighths
• 1 handful fresh basil stems removed and chopped
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp celery seeds
• 1 splash low sodium soy sauce
• 1 1/2 cups tomato (or vegetable) juice V-8 Low sodium brand works well
• 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup oat milk
• 1-2 splashes Cholula hot sauce hot sauce of your choice works as well
• 1 tsp fresh black pepper
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 2 cups vegetable stock

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

2. Cut the Roma tomatoes in half and place on baking sheet 

3. Wrap the garlic heads in foil and place on the baking sheet with the tomatoes

4. Add the onions to the baking sheet along with the tomatoes and garlic

5. Roast the veggies in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour.  They are done when the tomatoes are giving off juice and the onions are blackened on the tips but not burned overall.

6. Once the tomatoes, garlic and onions are roasted, set them aside to cool to touch. Then, squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of the skins, discard the skin and set aside the roasted garlic cloves.

7. In a blender, blend garlic, onions, and tomatoes, hot sauce,  1 to 1.5 cups of the vegetable stock, 1 cup tomato juice a little at a time until smooth.

8. Add 1/2 of the basil and blend

9. Pour mixture into a large sauce pan, heat on medium heat, adding the Italian seasoning, celery seeds, brown sugar, oat milk, pepper to taste, a splash of hot sauce to taste and a splash of low sodium soy sauce and the rest of the milk to taste.

10. Taste and if it's too sweet, adjust with a little apple cider vinegar.  If it's too sour, sprinkle in more brown sugar. 

11. Serve warm soup and enjoy!

TOMATO SOUP 
Tami Nikolaus (Lisa got this recipe from Mom)
I love this soup!  Can't wait to have some this winter with grilled cheese.
I made this at Lisa's house.  I got 8 quart zip lock bags.  Use 3 big pots (one needs a good lid), biggest silver bowl, glass measuring (4 cup) with a handle, big slotted spoon, big cup to put zip lock in to pour soup.

Use large pan with good lid
6 onions
2 large Red Bell Peppers - green works too
6 stalks of Celery
Small head of Garlic (to taste) - 1 heaping T minced garlic
Cook adding no liquid - slowly - 30 min to an hour
Vegetables should be soft especially the celery

While vegetables are cooking heat up water in a big pot until boiling.  Wash and put in as many tomatoes as will fit.  Cook for 3 minutes.  Once 3 minutes are up transfer tomatoes with slotted spoon to sink filled with cool water.  Slip off skins and cut off any bad parts.  Cut in quarters and fill pot big enough to hold 2 gallons of tomatoes.  Cook these tomatoes with 2 bay leaves (I forgot this step both times I did it).  Throw bay leaves away after cooking tomatoes.

In your blender blend the vegetables along with the tomatoes.
Either blend or wisk in later ½ c. melted butter 
Mix together:
1 c. flour 
1/4 c. salt 
almost 1 cup sugar or to taste

Can either pour into freezer containers (if doing bags - put bag in a big cup and then pour).  When putting in freezer make sure and put down a bag or box on bottom if it is not flat.

If going to bottle - Cook until hot.  Then put in quart jars and water bath for 30 min.

Makes 9-10 quarts of most delicious tomato soup

EASY THREE-INGREDIENT TOMATO SOUP
My family did eat this for one meal but didn't want any of the leftovers.  I liked it better than above recipe and it was easier.  I will mix with a can of Campbells tomato soup so they will eat the rest.  I froze what was left.  

http://www.inspiredtaste.net/27956/easy-tomato-soup-recipe/

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 large onion, cut into large wedges
• 1 (28-ounce) can tomatoes, we prefer to use whole peeled or crushed
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, or more to taste

Directions

1. Melt butter over medium heat in a Dutch oven or large saucepan. Add onion wedges, water, can of tomatoes with their juices and the salt. Bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, for about 40 minutes. Stir occasionally and add additional salt as needed.
2. We usually add an additional 1/2 to 3/4-teaspoon of salt since the tomatoes can be quite acidic. Since this depends on how sweet/acidic the tomatoes are, add according to your taste.
3. Blend the soup -- it doesn't need to be ultra-smooth, some texture is a nice touch. An immersion blender makes quick work of this or use a blender.
4. If you use a regular blender, it is best to blend in batches and not fill the blender as much as you usually would since the soup is so hot. We like to remove the center insert of the lid and cover it with a kitchen towel while blending — this helps some of the steam release and prevents the lid from popping off (which can be a big, hot mess).

Two of my other favorite tomato based soups are:
RUTH'S CABBAGE SOUP - cowboy cookbook pg. 75
TORTELLINI SAUSAGE SOUP - Our best bites pg. 148