Last week, Aunt Freesia Butler got word to us she was coming for a visit. So we knew cold weather was headed our way. There’s nothing like Homemade Soup to chase the chill, warm up house and home and make a body feel a little bit better about life in general…especially when icicles have formed as far south as the Alabama Beaches! I’ve dubbed this soup- Southern Tomato Soup because, well…it starts off with frying up some Bacon. We Southerners tend to think a bit of Pork makes everything taste better in one way or another. Salt Pork, Ham, Lard, Sausage and Bacon are always in the house.
And, Southern Tomato Soup takes advantage of another pantry staple- a favorite of Southern cooks and Fine Chefs- Canned Tomatoes. Forgive me for going off on a little tangent here and say- Fresh Vine Ripened Tomatoes are the height of most Southern Recipes…and I’ve said it before but it bears repeating- ‘The closer you live to a tomato vine the better your life will be..‘ Though you know and I know what a short growing season Tomatoes have. So we put up tomatoes in the pantry or freezer as fast as we can- yet generally even our summer efforts aren’t enough to get us through a cold hard winter! So, we buy Canned Tomatoes and we’re not one bit ashamed of it. Now, truth be told- making Homemade Chicken Stock is one of the cook’s most satisfying activities- at least here at the Cottage, it’s made often, though homemade stock is used so often, it’s hard to keep enough of it around. Buying a few decent cans of Chicken Broth or Stock can go a long way in the Winter Pantry- please buy good quality canned goods, it does make a difference. 
Another ingredient in Southern Tomato Soup is Sweet Yellow Onions…we simply can’t get Vidalia Onions from Georgia all year round- though we do tend to favor yellow onions over the stronger white onions. There you have it- Bacon, Tomatoes, Chicken Broth and Sweet Onion are all you really need to make up a decent Southern Tomato Soup! Mid Century Moderns like myself- grew up eating that ketchup consistency canned tomato soup and it almost always was eaten with a Grilled Cheese Sandwich. If you have a bit of Cheese in the house- Southern Tomato Soup will love you for it. And you will love how fast and easy it is to make a satisfying homemade soup before Aunt Freesia Butler knocks on your door! Here’s how you make:
Camellia’s Southern Tomato Soup
- Fry 3 pieces of Bacon in the bottom of a large saucepan over medium high heat. Remove Bacon and Drain. Reduce heat slightly.
- Take one medium thinly sliced Yellow Onion, sauté in Bacon Drippings until translucent. Add 1 small chopped garlic, sauté gently.
- Carefully pour two 14.5 oz. cans of Diced Tomatoes into onion and garlic. Add one 14.5 oz. can of Chicken Stock, stirring to blend.
- Add 1 Teaspoon of Dried Basil, 1/4 Teaspoon of Ground Cayenne Pepper or 1/2 Teaspoon of Red Pepper Flakes (or like me do both!) Add Kosher Salt and fresh Cracked Pepper to taste. Stir.
- Heat the chunky mixture thoroughly to a gentle bubble for 10-15 minutes. Stirring occasionally until hot and fragrant.
- *A tablespoon or two of white wine or Half and Half can be added to enrich the soup but is not necessary.
- Ladle into soup bowls- top with Finely Grated Cheese (Cheddar, Mozzarella, Swiss or Fontina Cheeses are wonderful- *whatever you have on hand works.)
- Top with a generous amount of coarse chopped Bacon. Serve!
Now the truth is- this is a rustic soup which can be doubled or tripled to serve a crowd. Southern Tomato Soup also gets better, so you can make up a quick batch, refrigerate and reheat later, I certainly did. It’s great served with my favorite Oyster Crackers, Thin Sliced Bread spread with Garlic Butter and Toasted for Croutons and since this one is dubbed a Southern Soup you know I’m gonna say it’s just wonderful with Cornbread! And while I’m thinking of it- one of those Grilled Cheese Sandwiches would be great too! Stay warm this week!
Love y’all, Camellia
Any good Southern Hostess has a dish of Toasted Pecans ready at a moment’s notice to serve to drop in company or the finest occasions… In fact it is difficult to imagine any festive occasion all year round when Pecans aren’t welcome! Especially welcome during the Holidays!
As an addition to Holiday Gatherings- these Holiday Orange Pecans can be made in less than an hour- packaged for Holiday Gifts, Hostess Gifts and even kept in the Freezer for…oh I don’t know…maybe New Year’s Eve, Valentine’s Day or Birthdays and Anniversaries.
Yes, you read that right! Two iconic Southern Pies in one glorious crust! The first time I tasted Sweet Potato Pecan Pie coincided with the first time I visited New Orleans… Paul Prudhomme was an up and coming chef whose Blackened Redfish was becoming all the rage. Spicy and delicious- Prudhomme put New Orleans on the top places to visit for the food alone! He was invited to the White House as chef for an international summit and became a household name. Lines formed early at his restaurant – K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen. Out of his kitchen came not only wonderful food, there were also chefs who would become famous in their own right.
Even though Cornbread and Biscuits are made in every region, we Southerners always think ours are the best! Biscuits seem to be the higher culinary art compared to Cornbread’s rustic texture. And the truth is, Cornbread has it’s roots in poverty, yet often graces the finest tables. French trained Southern Chef Virginia Willis said it best:
Oh my, I hope you’ll try a batch and substitute them for plain soda crackers when you make a big pot of soup this Fall!
In the South, we’re known for hospitality, especially for our ability to offer pickup foods at a moment’s notice. ‘Y’all come over, no- we’re just having pickup foods’ … It could be as simple as parched peanuts…or quickly toasting some buttery salted pecans, even pulling some cheese straws from the freezer and baking them off to put in a little silver bowl. I have to admit having a little snack greatly improves conversation! We tend to keep a box or bag of a favorite cookie or cracker, but we do have our standards! The best is a little 1 inch square cheese cracker we’ve all been eating, all across this country since the 1920’s! It’s dangerous for me to be in the vicinity of a bright red box of Cheez-its®! 
Camellia's Cottage 