Grandpa's Homemade Tomato Soup

SMALL BATCH

2 28-oz cans whole peeled tomatoes
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
2 c low sodium V-8 juice 

2-3 meaty pork hocks (Fresh –not smoked) or beef short ribs

1 qt water

Tone’s Pickling spice (remove cloves) (~ one ounce)

1 med onion, diced

½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp salt or Lawry's seasoned salt

2 pkg cooked wide egg noodles (dried noodles, not frozen)

*Needed: two tea balls – found at most kitchen stores

Wash meat and put in large pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Fill half of each tea ball with pickling spice (make sure you’ve removed the whole cloves or soup will end up being too sweet). Add tea balls to the meat & water. Use blender or food processor to puree tomatoes. Add to the pot along with diced onion. Add salt and pepper to taste, but start with measurements above. Bring to a rolling boil, skimming off foam as it appears. (Foam is actually the acid from the tomatoes and can cause your soup to be bitter if you don’t take it off.) Reduce heat and let simmer at least two hours, skimming foam as needed. Serve with egg noodles.

Meat can be removed from bones and eaten in the soup or by itself with some prepared yellow mustard.

And never, ever, ever, ever serve this soup with crackers! It’s a sacrilege to even think about eating this soup with nasty soggy crackers!! Same goes for grilled cheese.

This is one of those recipes that may take some getting used to, but it’s been served in our family for four generations and one that many have come to love over the years.

LARGE BATCH

4 - 28oz cans WHOLE peeled tomatoes

2 - 28oz cans diced or petite diced tomatoes

1 qt LOW SODIUM V-8 (vegetable) juice

3-4 meaty beef short ribs

2 qts water

4 small containers (2oz total) Tone's pickling spice (REMOVE CLOVES!!)

2 med diced onions

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp Lawry's seasoned or regular salt

2-4 pkgs cooked egg noodles (dried, not frozen)

**Need 4 small or two large tea balls (make sure they're the screw-shut kind - can be found here on Amazon: small ones or big one

Prepare tea ball(s) with pickling spice: remove the cloves from the pickling spice, otherwise it will give the soup a weird, sweet taste). 

 

Fill half of the tea ball(s) with pickling spice. After the cloves are removed, each small tea ball should hold a half-ounce of pickling spice. The large will hold 2 oz. Close the top on the tea ball(s) securely, but not overly tight or they'll be hard to get open when it comes time to clean them out.

Wash and put the meat in a large stockpot - at least 14qt. Add the diced onions. Carefully drop in the tea ball(s) and put heat on high. 

In a blender, food processor or using an immersion blender, liquefy the whole peeled tomatoes before adding to the pot. Add the diced tomatoes along with other spices. Bring to a boil uncovered, then lower heat to a light simmer. Skim off foam as it appears. (Foam is actually the acid from the tomatoes and can cause your soup to be bitter if you don’t take it off.) Simmer covered, stirring occasionally, for at least 2 hours, skimming off foam as needed.

Cook your egg noodles SEPARATELY and rinse in cool water. 

When you're ready to serve, put in bowls, then add a handful or two of cooked noodles, and salt & pepper to taste. 

And never, ever, ever, ever serve this soup with crackers! It’s a sacrilege to even think about eating this soup with nasty soggy crackers!! Same goes for grilled cheese. My mother and grandfather would roll in their graves at the thought!!

If preferred, you can remove the meat (it will likely have fallen off the bone by now) and serve it with a little prepared mustard or by itself. Throw away the bones (they won't be good for any kind of stock because the pickling spice flavor will be cooked into them). 

When the soup has cooled completely, carefully scoop out the tea ball(s) and empty used spices into the trash, rinsing out the tea ball(s). You don't want to leave them in the soup after it's done cooking because the acid in the tomatoes will eat at them and ruin them. DO NOT ADD NOODLES TO THE SOUP to store or they will absorb the liquid and ruin your soup.

This is one of those recipes that may take some getting used to, but it’s been served in our family for four generations and one that many have come to love over the years.

ENJOY!!!