Hey there! Can you believe it is almost Thanksgiving?
This year fall has flown by and here we are at the Holidays again!
I have a couple really cool things to share today, one being my favorite homemade tomato soup recipe. But first, I wanted to share a compact way to garden, compost and enjoy your favorite fresh herbs.

The thought of being able to have a balcony garden or patio garden was pretty exciting as you know how much fresh organic herbs at the store can cost. I never use the whole package either and thought having a bit to clip off when I need it would be amazing.

It did not take much time at all to set everything up and start filling the layers with soil. I like to use this organic soil as I have always had great results with it. Once we had it full of soil we planted some of our favorite herbs and we were done. I have to admit I cooked with it almost every night knowing I had live basil on hand 🙂

Now for the soup, my youngest LOVES this soup even though she does not like tomatoes. Since it comes together so fast it is one of our go-to’s for weeknight meals or a yummy lunch on the weekends.

When we have fresh tomatoes I tend to use them as much as I can but my favorite canned tomatoes are what I usually use for this recipe.
Ok, all this soup talk is making me hungry, let’s make some homemade tomato soup!
Homemade Tomato Soup
- 4 T unsalted butter
- 1 large diced onion
- 4 t fresh minced garlic
- 2 – 28 ounce canned tomatoes
- 2 c chicken broth
- 3/4 c heavy cream
- 1/2 – 1 t salt or sodium free salt alternative
- 1/2 t black pepper to taste
Melt butter in a medium stock pot, add onions and garlic and saute until translucent, being careful to keep heat low and not burn. Add the tomatoes, chicken broth, salt and pepper, bring to a low boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Use an immersion blender to carefully puree the soup, turn off the burner and stir in heavy cream. I love to top with a generous sprinkling of parmesan cheese and some fresh basil! There is usually some salt in canned tomatoes so to keep our sodium intake low I love to use the salt alternative (and this allows for me to have more cheese ha!)

I hope this finds you enjoying your weekend and cannot wait to start sharing some thrifty Holiday decor with you in the weeks to come 🙂
As always, thank you for reading & until next time-
xo, Tanya
Please note that this is a sponsored post. While I do receive compensation for reviews, I will always share my honest opinions, findings, beliefs, and experiences on those topics, events, or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own.
Tomato soup is my favourite although I do usually just get it from a can. This recipe sounds so simple. Pinning so I can give it a try. Thanks
Thank you Julie! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do 🙂
So excited to try this soup, Tanya! It looks amazing. I’ve never seen a balcony garden like that before but I love it. I have several family members that would love it as a Christmas present too. Thanks so much for sharing! Hugs, CoCo
It is our go to for a quick meal that is homemade, I hope you enjoy it 🙂 thank you!
Looks so good. My husband loves tomato soup. I love the balcony garden. idea. The squirrels seem to eat everything in my garden. I am happy to feature your post at Love Your Creativity.
Thank you so much Linda!