Using Canned Tomatoes

1. In a medium saucepan heat about a tablespoon of olive oil or butter over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Add diced tomatoes to the saucepan. Bring to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Add the evaporated milk.
4. If using an immersion blender , blend soup until smooth. If using a regular blender, allow the soup to cool for 10 minutes before transferring it to the blender and blend until smooth and creamy. If soup is too thick, you can blend in a little broth or additional milk.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Return to saucepan and heat over medium heat if necessary.
7. Garnish with any of the optional toppings, if desired.
8. Serve warm.
9. This soup will keep in the refrigerator for up to four days.
10. Top with any toppings desired.

Using Fresh Tomatoes

1. Blanch and Shock the Tomatoes: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil (blanching station). Next to it, set a large bowl of ice water (shocking station).
2. Score: Using a small paring knife, cut a shallow “X” on the bottom of each tomato. The skin will begin splitting at this spot.
3. Blanch: Carefully place a few tomatoes at a time into the boiling water. Leave them in for only 30 to 60 seconds, or until you see the skins around the “X” start to peel back. Don’t cook them!
4. Shock: Immediately remove the tomatoes with a slotted spoon and plunge them into the ice water bath. This stops the cooking process instantly and makes the skins super easy to remove.
5. Peel and Seed: The skins will slip off effortlessly with your fingers. To seed them, cut the tomato in half crosswise and gently squeeze out the seeds and gel. You can also use a small spoon to scoop them out.
6. Roughly chop the tomatoes. Set aside.
7. Heat a tablespoon of avocado oil in a saucepan.
8. Sauté onion and garlic until fragrant, then add the prepared tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper.
9. Bring the mixture to a simmer and then reduce the heat to low. Let it simmer, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have completely broken down and the sauce has thickened. This could take anywhere from 30 minutes to over an hour. For a smoother purée, you can use an immersion blender directly in the pot once it’s cooked.
10. Top with any toppings desired.