Smile Soup

Photo: flickr user lepiaf.geo

Ingredients

1 can tomato puree or crushed tomatoes - (28 oz)

1 can stewed tomatoes - (14 ½ oz)

1 can chicken broth - (13 ¾ oz)

1 carrot

1 celery stalk

teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter (optional)

Salt to taste

Freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Preparation

Scrub carrot and cut lengthwise. Chop the celery fine. In a large pot, bring all the ingredients except the butter to a boil. Simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes.

Just before serving, lift out the carrot and discard it (it helps balance out the acidity of the tomatoes). Stir in the butter until it melts completely. Puree the mixture in a blender or pulse in a food processor, then adjust seasoning if desired.

Pour the soup into individual serving bowls, then let your kids put the smiley faces on top.

TIPS: We used sour cream, squeezed through a tiny hole cut in a plastic sandwich bag. But your kids can experiment with anything that will stay afloat - plain yogurt, oyster crackers, croutons, green pepper slices, grated cheese, or toast cut into eyes, nose and mouth shapes.

This recipe yields 6 servings.