It’s the time of year where I just start craving Spring, sandals, putting my wool coat away, and unpacking the summer clothes from storage. As a young girl, as soon as February / March hit, my sisters and I would climb up our precarious attic steps, dig around for our summer boxes, and pass them down to the girl below. Then, we’d pack up our winter things and store them away until the fall. Inevitably, we’d make the switch far too soon which would result in cold toes, bare arms, and maybe even a reluctant trip back up those attic steps to retrieve some layers.

The reality is it’s still generally chilly in February, and a steaming bowl of tomato soup still does the trick. I made this simple tomato soup for supper two nights ago and served it with grilled cheese and caesar salad. Joe was skeptical…maybe it seemed too light a dinner after a hard day’s work? Regardless, he’s now a convert, and wholeheartedly approves of eating it for dinner.

Here’s the recipe, which is only slightly adapted from Folk Magazine. Maybe you’ll find use for it over the next few almost-Spring weeks…

Ingredients
– 1 tbsp butter
– 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
– 1 medium onion
– 4 cloves garlic
– 1 can whole, peeled tomatoes
– 1 can diced tomatoes
– 2 cups chicken stock
– salt & pepper
– 1 cup raw yogurt

Directions
Warm butter and oil in a large saucepan, then add the onion. Allow it to cook until translucent, then add garlic. Lower heat, and stir onion and garlic until carmelized. Add whole tomatoes, diced tomatoes, chicken stock, and a dash of salt. Increase to a boil, then simmer. The original recipe says to simmer for an hour, but Joe got home after about 15 minutes, and we ate it then. It was still tasty.

After simmering, place soup in blender to smooth out any chunks. I actually kept mine a tiny bit textured. Put back in pan and return to a slight simmer. Serve into bowls and top with yogurt and a sprinkle of pepper. Serve with grilled cheese, buttered bread for dipping, or savor the soup all on its own!

Enjoy, friends!