In the wintertime, there's pretty much always a can of Campbell's Tomato Soup on some pantry shelf at our house. If I'm in need of a quick dinner, it's go-to that everyone will eat. I've had lots of good tomato soups out at restaurants, but I personally LOVE the smooth, creamy texture of this old favorite.

But, in an attempt to find more ways to use the many, many tomatoes we've been blessed with this year, I found this recipe. And, oh, is it good!

Campbell's may be able to boast taste and texture, but it does pack some high fructose corn syrup and other unrecognizable ingredients. So, move over, Campbell's, because this recipe has got you beat on flavor, texture, and ingredients since it's made with items I can feel good about (including bell peppers and parsley from our garden).

If you love tomato soup, I would encourage you to give this one a try. Be warned: it does take about half a day to complete the project, but you wind up with 9 shelf-stable dinners for your family.

Another warning -- it does require several pieces of processing equipment:

1. a food processor to chop your veggies pretty small (or I guess you could dice them up the old fashioned way)

2. an immersion or stand blender (immersion is preferable because it is safe to use with hot liquids. If you go with a stand, you'll have to allow your soup to cool a bit before proceeding with this step)

3. a sieve (I didn't own one, but it's definitely on my Christmas list now that I've had a chance to play with one. Thanks, Heidi!)

4. A water bath canner to process and seal your pint jars

Now, if all of that hasn't scared you away, then get to work! I promise, you won't be sorry!

I told John that soup just tastes like fall to me. It's rich and creamy and smooth -- everything you want in a bowl of tomato soup.