There are so many tomato soup recipes out there, but this is my favorite because every time I've made it for people, they have always requested the recipe. It's a crowd-pleaser, can be made ahead and is festive for the holiday season.

It also contains a secret ingredient: allspice. Allspice is the dried fruit of the Pimenta dioica plant, but it has the flavors of some other spices: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.

You can make this soup now, put it in canning jars, and freeze it. Once it's frozen, remove it from the jar and freeze in a freezer bag. This way you can use the canning jar for other uses.

Serve with baked Parmesan Crisps, Cheddar Shortbread or Goldfish! You can serve the soup in antique tea cups at Christmas or shot glasses for a cocktail party.

Recipe: Cream of Tomato Soup

8-10 servings

from The New Basics Cookbook by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins

Ingredients: