Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup onion, diced
3 gloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup white wine
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons celery salt
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon chicken base (Anne’s Old Fashioned Chicken Base)
3 tablespoons floor
3 cups V-8 juice
2 28-ounce cans tomatoes, chopped with juice
6 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 10-ounce package fresh spinach, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
Preparation
In a large soup pot heat the oil and saute onions and garlic until light in color. Add wine, bay leaf, celery salt, basil, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and let mixture reduce for 10 minutes. Next, add sugar, nutmeg and chicken base; stir well. To thicken this onion herb mixture, stir in 3 tablespoons flour. Slowly add V-8 juice, stirring over medium heat, until you have a smooth sauce. Add chopped tomatoes and milk; simmer soup for 30 minutes. Add heavy cream, spinach and basil. Simmer another 10 to 15 minutes and serve. Yields 1 gallon.
