Growing up, I was rather fond of Campbell's soups, and I have a particular soft spot for their tomato soup. Imagine my horror when now, as a wheat-allergic adult, I discover that ninety percent of Campbell's canned soups contain wheat flour! Many of them have a trace amount for no apparent reason, though this one is not that senseless. To make things worse, Campbell's has the lion's share of the soup market, and alternatives are few.
All is not lost, however, as tomato soup is easy to make. The hardest part is compensating for the variation in brands and batches of tomato paste and sauce. Some are sweet, some are acidic, but all can be made into something very close to Campbell's. The only caveat is that you have to be willing to taste as you go. It's also an excellent start for more complex tomato soups; experiment.
These measurements are typical for Safeway's house brand.
1 6oz. can tomato paste
1 8oz. can tomato sauce (plain)
¼ C milk or cream
2¾ tsp. sugar
1¼ tsp. salt
2 C water
rice flour
lemon juice
Combine paste, sauce, and milk in a 1-quart microwaveable container. Substitute more milk for water if desired; it will change the sugar and salt amounts.
Add sugar and salt about ½ tsp at a time, alternating, until it tastes right, then add water and taste again. If it's too acid even with the sugar, add some rice flour; if it gets too bland, add a little lemon juice. The flavor will mellow a bit when you heat it.
When you have your blend, microwave it 3-4 minutes on high, stir, and serve. Makes about 1 quart (4 cups).
Doing this on the stove is very much the same, and you can heat it as you add ingredients, making your taste tests closer to the final flavor.