Make this soup while you have the time so on those crazy nights, you can have dinner on the table in no time!

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Thick Tomato Basil Soup

Course Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tsp minced thyme
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 can fire roasted tomatoes 28 ounce
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 4 cups water
• 2 Tbsp sliced basil
• Large cut croutons

Instructions

• Melt butter in a large sauce pan.
• Add thyme, onion and garlic.  Sauté until onion is soft, about 5 minutes.  
•  Add tomato paste and continue stirring for 4 minutes.
• Add tomatoes, sugar and water.  
• Bring mixture to a boil, then simmer for 40 minutes.  
• Either use an immersion/stick blender* directly in the pot or separate soup into batches and process in a blender.  Leave soup slightly chunky and return to pot.
• Add basil and simmer for another 10 minutes.
• Fill bowls with soup and top with croutons and parmesan cheese.

Notes

* An immersion/stick blender is a great kitchen gadget.  It makes puréeing soups much easier since you can leave the soup in the pot and avoid the messy process of transferring the mixture to a blender.  They sell for $30 - $40.

A large dinner buffet at your home does not have to overwhelm!  Having basic party essentials on hand ensures a well-functioning, simple buffet celebration.   Purchase white dinner plates and you will save a ton of money otherwise spent on buying paper party goods.  Yes, it does mean that you will have more dishes to clean, but party guests are always willing to help out – you just have to let them!

Because your plates are basic, use napkins, table linens and decorations to define your theme or holiday celebration.

Set your buffet up on the dining room table.  If you are having more than 30 people, we recommend having two platters of each dish available.  If you need to use your dining room table for seating, set up the buffet in the kitchen.

Below is a listing of basic essentials you will need for a buffet of 20 people:

• 25 white dinner plates
• 25 salad plates – collect various styles
• 25 forks, knives and spoons
• silverware holder
• 25 cloth napkins
• 6-8 clear tealight  candle holders
• 8 large serving platters
• 3 large serving bowls
• 1 large salad bowl
• 1 to 2 bread baskets
• Variety of serving utensils – pie servers, tongs and large spoons (wooden are nice)
• Gravy boat or sauce bowl with ladle
• Salt & pepper Shakers
• Vase for fresh flowers