Old-Fashioned Tomato Soup

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 can (28-oz.) diced tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/8 tsp. ground mace
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup fat-free half-and-half cream
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 Tbsp. snipped dill, for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a small Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Saute the onion until translucent, 4 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until the onions are golden, 5 to 6 minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes with their juices, the sugar, thyme, mace and cayenne. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer the soup until the tomatoes and onion are soft, about 15 minutes.
3. Let the soup sit 20 minutes, uncovered. Transfer it to a blender (or use an immersion blender) and reduce the mixture to a puree, either pulpy or completely smooth, as desired. Blend in the half-and-half. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Serve the soup hot, sprinkling one-fourth of the dill over each bowl, if using.

Recipe Yield: Yield: 4 servings