Two Lents ago, I was in Kansas (and, yes, it makes me dizzy to think that was two moves ago). The chapel on post did soup dinners before stations of the cross every Friday, as many churches do, and, as it was very child friendly, we attended every week.

One Friday, I was happily gulping up one of the yummiest cream of tomato soups I had ever had. A woman sitting at my table confessed to being the cook and generously gave me the recipe. I ate it often until the cool days of spring gave way to summer when I don’t prefer to eat hot soup.

And we moved.

Last Lent, I remembered the recipe and searched high and lo to no avail. I poured through every online recipe exchange I knew of and found nothing that was remotely similar. I was disappointed, but I got over it and the recipe faded from memory.

And then we moved.

A few Fridays ago, my friend-who-lives-down-the-street-and-whose-husband-is-deployed invited us over for dinner (Bill was gone). “I have tomato soup,” she said. “It’s not YOUR tomato soup, but it’s good.”

“MY tomato soup?” I said. “What tomato soup?” I tried to think of the last time I had made tomato soup…and that had been two Lents ago…in Kansas…where I met this friend… “You mean from Kansas? You have that creamy tomato soup recipe?”

She did. She also explained that she had lost it, so she googled it and found it online. I don’t know, maybe I spelled it “to-MAH-to.”

It’s the cream cheese that makes it delicious.

Creamy Tomato Soup

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed tomato soup, undiluted
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, cubed

Directions:
1. In a saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender. Stir in tomatoes, soup, milk, sugar, basil, paprika and garlic powder. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Stir in cream cheese until melted. Serve immediately.