Creamless Creamy Tomato Soup

• 1 onion medium, chopped, about 1 cup
• 3 garlic cloves medium, minced or pressed, about 1 tablespoon
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes optional
• 1 bay leaf
• water
• 56 ounces tomatoes whole, packed in juice
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar or honey
• 3 slices white sandwich bread good quality, crusts removed, torn into 1 inch pieces.
• 2 cups water or vegetable broth, only add if soup needs to be thinned.
• salt
• 1/4 cup fresh chives or green onions as garnish
• olive oil for drizzling

1. Saute onion, garlic, red pepper flakes and bay leaf in a small amount of water until onion is translucent, stirring frequently.
2. Stir in tomatoes and their juice. Cut tomatoes in pan in halves or fourths with a spatula.
3. Stir in honey or sugar and bread; bring soup to boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until bread is completely saturated and starts to break down, about 5 - 10 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf.
4. Transfer half of soup to blender and process until soup is smooth and creamy. Transfer to large bowl and repeat with remaining soup.
5. Rinse out pot and refill it with the soup. Stir in water (i needed). Bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper.
6. Serve in individual bowls. Sprinkle each portion with pepper and chives and drizzle with olive oil.

onion, garlic, red pepper, bay leaf, water, tomatoes, brown sugar, white sandwich bread, water, salt, fresh chives, olive oil

Taken from www.yummly.com/recipe/Creamless-Creamy-Tomato-Soup-1631646 (may not work)