Cream of Tomato and Cheddar Soup

Another warm recipe from The Red Lion Inn. If you double click on the image, it informs you that:

"This is the official soup of the Red Lion Inn Golf Tournament!!"

Excellent.

Cream of Tomato and Cheddar Soup

1 sm onion, chopped

4 stalks celery, leaves removed

3 carrots, peeled

2 lbs Italian plum tomatoes

3 tsp pickling spice tied in cheesecloth bag

4 TB extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

1/4 ts Tabasco

2 Qts Veal Stock

3/4 lb Cheddar Cheese, shredded

5 oz butter

5 oz flour

8 oz butter

1 cup heavy cream

S&P to taste

-Chop the onions, celery and carrots finely. Saute in olive oil.

-Add tomatoes, bag of spices, sauces, and simmer for 1 hr. Stir often.

-Remove spice bag and puree mixture until smooth.

-Simmer mixture with the spice bag and the veal stock. Bring to boil and simmer until reduced by 1/4.

-Heat 5 oz butter and flour until stirred together into a roux.

-Beat roux into soup. Gradually add Cheddar Cheese, remaining butter, cream, and s&p.