INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 pound butter
- 1 1/2 pound onions about 3 medium, cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 28-ounce cans of diced tomatoes or 7 pounds of fresh tomatoes, cored and diced
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1/8 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon celery salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 3/4 cup half-and-half or whole milk
- 3 tablespoons honey
PREPARATION
- In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 20 minutes.
- Add flour and stir until mixture is slightly thickened and pale gold, about 3 minutes; do not allow to brown.
- Stir in the tomatoes and their juices, chicken broth, sugar, salt, celery salt, and pepper. Raise heat to medium until the liquid bubbles, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot frequently.
- Stir in half-and-half and honey. Remove from heat. Strain about 1/3 of the soup into a bowl and set aside. Working in batches, purée the remaining soup in a blender or use a good immersion blender. Return the strained soup to the pot with the pureed soup and stir to combine. Heat on medium heat just until heated through.