Tomato soup is another of my winter favorites. I love to have it with the classic grilled cheese. I’ll post a grilled cheese recipe or two in the next blog posting. I’m going to post two variations that can be made quickly using canned condensed tomato soup.

For the first tomato soup variation you’ll need:

• 1 can condensed tomato soup
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon parsley
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 onion
• 1-2 garlic cloves

This recipe is as simple as can be, because all you need to do is combine the ingredients in no particular order and heat it up on the stove or even in the microwave if you are running really short on time.

The second recipe is slightly more involved, but it includes real tomatoes which is a big plus for many people. You can add the tomatoes to the above recipe, or use this recipe alone. You will need:

• 1 can condensed tomato soup
• 2 roma tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 can whole milk

Dice up the tomatoes and put them and the other ingredients in a large pot. Heat the pot on the stove until the soup boils. Romano cheese sprinkled on top tastes great.