Homemade Tomato Soup Recipe for the Slow Cooker



Tomato soup is a great way to use up a huge bounty of homegrown tomatoes -- this recipe uses fresh vine ripened tomatoes and cooks them all day in your crockpot slow cooker until they burst and slow roast.
After cooking, blend until there are no chunks and stir in a bit of heavy cream. This delicious and velvety soup will rival that from a fancy restaurant!!



How to make homemade tomato soup from scratch using your crockpot slow cooker.


Day 242.

I hate tomato soup from the can. I hate it. I think it looks gross, smells gross, and tastes like metal. It also has wheat starch in it for some stupid reason.

Hmm. It looks like I have rather strong feelings about canned tomato soup. I should probably talk to someone about that.

But I can't seem to get enough of fancy restaurant tomato soup. It tastes much different than canned soup---it's both sweet and tangy, and the bit of cream leaves a nice velvet layer on your tongue.

This is a great way to use up a tomato surplus from your garden.

The Ingredients.
serves 4 to 6

Use up your homegrown tomatoes by making homemade tomato soup from scratch in your crockpot slow cooker.



3 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
2 cups tomato juice
1 cup cooking sherry (or regular sherry, or apple juice)
3 tablespoons granulated white sugar
1 chicken (or vegetable) boullion cube
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

to add later:
--2 cups heavy cream
--salt and pepper to taste

optional:
sour cream and/or Parmesan cheese for garnish

The Directions.

Use a 5-6 quart crockpot for this soup.

Wash all of your tomatoes, and cut them in quarters. 

Nope, we're not going to peel the tomatoes, yay

To save your counter top from tomato gook, put your cutting board on a cookie sheet with sides. The juice will then stay inside the cookie sheet.

Put all the tomatoes in your crockpot.

Chop up the onion, and add it. 

Cover with the tomato juice and sherry, and drop in the bouillon cube. Stir in the sugar and chopped basil.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

If you'd like your soup to have chunks, go ahead and stir in the cream. 

If you'd prefer a chunk-free soup, CAREFULLY use an immersible blender to soupify, or blend in small batches in a traditional blender. 

Then stir in the heavy cream.

Eat.

Smile.

The Verdict.

We ate this with some drop biscuits and licked our bowls. My tomato-loving child thought it was a "bit too tomato-y," but ate it and my tomato-hater lapped up tons.

This is an elegant soup, perfect for a starter at a fancy dinner, or to serve with sandwiches at a tea party. 

Or you can stand at the counter and eat it directly out of the pot.

I'm excited for lunch.

Restaurant Quality homemade tomato soup. Make it from scratch the easy way: vine ripened tomatoes, onion, tomato juice, sugar, etc. Yummy and delicious and velvety! Using your crockpot slow cooker makes this super family friendly.

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Posted by: Stephanie O'Dea | A Year of Slow Cooking at August 29, 2016

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What they say about this article

  1. That's a great suggestion about the cutting board. There are some that have built in channels that are great for carving chickens or meat on because they sop up the juice. I highly recommend one of those (perhaps in addition to the cutting board?)

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  2. My husband hates tomato soup but I am still so making this. It looks delicious and I haven't had a GOOD tomato soup in a long time. Thanks!

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  3. I think I am going to try this. My hubby loves tomato soup...I HATE it...but I have only had it from a can. For the life of me I can't figure out why anyone would eat that LOL But this sounds really good. Going to add the ingredients to my shopping list now :)

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  4. I bet it would also be awesome with Land o' Lakes fat free cream...for a lighter version. 2 cups of heavy cream makes my arteries tremble.

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  5. I just blogged something very similar in the last couple of weeks: I ranted about how I hate canned tomato soup and how disgusting it is, and then I made my own! But I didn't do it in the crockpot. I bet that'd be even better than doing it on the stove! Yay!

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  6. Badger Girl, my arteries (and thighs!) agree, and would love to hear a report back if you try it with the fat free cream! I haven't seen the ff cream, but Trader Joe's has fat free half and half, and I was tempted to try it.

    I go back and forth and then again when playing with recipes--it's so hard to decide if I want full-of-flavor and amazing or a lighter version.

    anyhow, I'd love to hear a report!
    xox
    steph

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  7. I need to buy a new crockpot! I want it to be able to cook for about 4 people. Any suggestions? I figure you'd be a good person to ask since you probably use a crock more than anyone else. :-)

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  8. OK, here is where we part ways as friends, Steph. I luh-hove tomato soup. You are not unlike my husband who despises the stuff. I made him taste some once on a dare. He nearly puked. This does sound lovely though, glad you could overcome and prevail. =)

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  9. Crockpot Lady,
    I stumbled upon your site looking for a recipe to put in the mini crockpot I got for my wedding and have never used. I have been stuck on your blog for over an hour now, not just because the recipes are awesome, or because I feel I have been neglecting my own crockpots, but also because you crack me up! Crockpotting has never been so hilarious. I've decided on the Buffalo Chicken Dip in my mini crockpot, and also to check your blog often for great ideas and frequent chuckles. Funny and delicious - the top two reasons I married my husband! Thanks

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  10. Ooohh...this just looks SO YUMMY! I looooooove tomato soup! My oldest daughter loves it too. That and spaghetti sauce. And ketchup. (Catsup, whatever!) But she HAAAAAAAATES TOMATOES!

    But tomato soup? Tomato soup is her favorite! MUST. MAKE. THIS.

    Once again, thanks! My family is eating better because of you!

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  11. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!! I will definitely be making this!!!

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  12. Oh Yummy.I can't wait to try this ,We love tomato soup ,funny with kids how spaghetti sauce and soup are winners!!! Thanks Steph have a great week..

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  13. I have spent the last 2 days - solid - reading through your blog and printing out recipes like a madwoman. I had made a decision to use my crock pot more so cooking is easier. Thanks for all the recipes. And today I was eyeing the counter full of tomatoes and wondering if I could make tomato soup with it all to freeze in the crock pot...and what do you know...today you had just such a recipe...I love it when a plan comes together!

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  14. This recipe looks very similar to the Pioneer WOman's Shrried tomato soup (http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/02/sherried_tomato_soup/) which is really yummy.

    I've heard from different places that tomatoes contain alcohol-soluble flavors so that's why putting wine in tomato sauce, or even vodka gives it an extra special flavor.

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  15. Mmmm. Sounds delicious. I'm using my tomatoes and lettuce in BLTs tonight.

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  16. Hi, I just discovered your blog thru my sister's blog (restyled home) and I LOVE your blog! I plan to add you as a link! I've had at least three crock pots in the last 20 years and never used any of them more than once...I am now going to try again! It is the idea of breakfast being cooked with minimal effort that appeals to me!

    I'll be back!

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  17. Wow! I am very impressed by your ability to make a meal in your crockpot EVERYDAY. At some point, if you can address my dilemma with my crockpot- I inevitably make WAY too much food for my family of 2 adults and 2 little kids. How can I consistently trim down the recipe?
    Also, I read about your paella and how you said the saffron smell was very strong- I use my crock pot in my garage, exclusively. It has its own stand, and I don't care if my garage smells like split pea soup since it airs out so quickly!

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  18. Well talk about providence. I have a bunch of vine ripened tomatoes from the garden and I was asking myself how to cook them with the crockpot and her comes your recipe.

    I can't wait to make it.

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  19. Anonymous8/30/2008

    I have a question, can I use V8 instead of tomato juice or do you think that will change the flavor too much? Otherwise I'll just go out and get some tomato juice.

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  20. Anonymous8/30/2008

    To a-and-z's mom: I cook for just my husband and I in the crockpot. Most of the time I use a small crockpot, about 1 1/2 qts (I think) made by Taste of Home. I usually make 1/2 recipe (1/4 recipe if it really makes a lot) in my small crockpot. Often that still leaves us enough leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day. I only use my normal-size crockpot for things like roasts where I use the leftovers in a couple different meals throughout the week or freeze them for later.

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  21. hi Crabbymom, totally use the V8. My tomato juice had other stuff in there.
    xox
    steph

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  22. I can't wait to try this out. I had tomatoes in the garden this summer and wish we could have tried it sooner. Sounds Yummy!!!

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  23. Anonymous8/31/2008

    We love tomato soup and can't wait to try it a new way. Thanks for sharing.

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  24. I wonder if in the winter when I crave soups, I could make this with canned tomatoes? I bet yes!

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  25. Anonymous9/01/2008

    I didn't too well on this recipe, lol. I think I added too much whipping cream and I didn't like the shreds of tomatoes (I am guessing from the skin) that were left in it. Next time I will have to watch the whipping cream and possibly peel the tomatoes. Oh and definitely take the advice on the blender haha I only filled mine up 1/2 way in it (the first time) and it popped the lid off and things got a lil messy =)

    Ok off to find another recipe for tonight! Thanks again for all the recipes - your awesome!!

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  26. I have tomatoes on the vine ready to be picked and now you have answered my question as to "what will I do with them?"

    Dinner is solved for tomorrow night. Thanks! I love cooking with my crockpot, thanks for the website! I will be visiting often. You have been added to my reader!

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  27. Anonymous9/05/2008

    Ok, the clouds parted and cherubs started singing when I ate this. It was SOOOOOOOO good!! My husband hates, hates tomato soup. My kids weren't impressed so it is ALL MINE! I could drink this from a cup. I only made about 1/2 batch because of how many tomatoes I had but I will most certainly eat the whole thing. I used regular cream but I do think that you could get away with using half and half. I'll try that next time and there WILL be a next time! Thanks for another super recipe!

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  28. My husband bought me a gift certificate as a thank you for making this! It is the best thing he thinks I ever made, he is refusing to share with anyone!

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  29. Anonymous10/01/2008

    This soup was incredibly delicious.
    I modified the recipe slightly to NOT use a crock pot (blasphemy! I know) I cooked the tomatoes and onions for about 10 minutes alone to soften them up then added everything but the cream and let cook on very low for about 2 hours stirring occasionally then added the cream and blended.

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  30. Anonymous10/03/2008

    I *love* this soup!! I started to wonder if I was pregnant because I wanted to eat this all the time- I've made several batches of it with none of it going bad. . .and in a household of 9 I'm the only one who'll eat it!! lol Holly M

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  31. Hey Steph,
    I made this soup earlier in the week and loved it.
    Then I made the tomatoes and goat cheese snacks. (can you tell I had a ton of end of season tomatoes??)
    Anyhoo... I had the great idea to add a little goat cheese to my bowl of soup and KAPOW! A whole new level of yummieness. I could not believe how good it was. If you get the chance... give it a try!

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  32. This recipe sounds fantastic! I MUST MAKE IT!~ I've only eaten tomato soup out of a can - but the best thing that I like to add to my tomato soup is just a few cubes of mozzarella once the soup is heated up. The cheese gets gooey-licious! NUM!

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  33. Anonymous10/28/2008

    When you quarter the tomatoes, do you remove the seeds and core? This sounds SO good - and I think I will try it with FF half & half too. Anyone tried the FF version yet?

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  34. Yes, I tried it with the FF Half and Half.
    Not bad. It had tiny little speckles in it, but never separated. Still tasted really good.

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  35. Anonymous11/04/2008

    I think I'm going to try this tomorrow.
    Do you core and seed the tomatoes?

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  36. I so wanted to love this recipe.

    I love tomatoes. I love soup. But, I have never been able to find a tomato soup I love (except for some I had a Bobbie McGee's restaurant in 1981 or 82 and could never find again!).

    I made this just like the directions with the exception of using frozen tomatoes (from my garden).

    Nobody liked it. And the rest of the crew actually likes tomato soup!

    I guess you just can't win them all.

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  37. This was the best tasting tomato soup I've ever had. But I couldn't get past the skins. I really didn't like them. I'd definately make it again, but scald and skin the tomatoes first. Thanks for the great recipes.

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  38. OMG! Soooo good. Thank you. We will eat off of this for a while. I served it with cheese straws. Yum. Next time I may try dill instead of basil just b/c I am a dill nut. But it was perfect just the way it was. Thanks!

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  39. I've made this soup twice--once at the end of the summer with fresh tomatoes, and it was great, but the whipping cream was just too rich for me (hubby and kids loved it!).
    I made it again a couple of weeks ago and substituted 2-28oz cans of whole tomatoes in place of the fresh tomatoes and tomato juice. (Being a little compulsive, I drained the tomatoes, weighed them, and measured the juice left in the can. It came out close to 3lbs of tomatoes and 2 cups of juice.)
    I used half-and-half instead of the whipping cream.
    Perfection!

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  40. Anonymous1/04/2009

    I definitely would NOT ever make this again. I have never had a tomato soup like this-- and my kids also didn't like it.

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  41. I made this yesterday, and have mixed feelings.

    I will be making this again but without the added sugar and sherry. My soup was so sweet that I almost couldn't eat it! My kids did okay with it and John gobbled it up (helped that he hadn't eaten lunch...)Leftovers today are not as sweet, but

    I did blend in the blender but will take the time to scald and skin my tomatos next time. I did not seed or core my tomatos, and won't bother to do that next time. It smelled delicious while it cooked!

    Rather than traditional grilled cheese, I served this with french bread, sliced and topped with shredded cheddar toasted in the toaster oven. It was great for dipping and still gave the cheese and tomato combo, but cut down on the amount of cheese we were eating and I didn't have to use the stove, either:)

    Decided to appease everyone today- Applesauce chicken is in the crock:)

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  42. I'm so not a fan of tomato soup, canned version makes me gag to even smell it. This soup is very good though, thank you for sharing! I'm a fan now of tomato soup hehehe :)

    I used dried basil instead of fresh and it tastes great. It was very quick and easy.

    I'm recently wrote and asked about hand mixer brands you recommend, I went with the Cuisinart one because I couldn't find the Braun anywhere! It worked great! :)

    Next up this week to try out is corn chowder and apple dumplings :)

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  43. I love this blog and have spent the last couple of days reading it!
    I came across it while looking for a recipe for tomato soup :)
    I made this yesterday, actually I cut and chopped everything the night before and put it all together in my slow cooker yesterday morning. I was so very excited all day to come home to home made tomato soup.... Only to come home to the slow cooker reading "off" across the front and everything at room temp. I guess my slow cooker needs to be replaced.
    Anyway, I turned it back on high because I'm not wasting that much food! I watched it cook on high for about 3 1/2 hrs and it smelled delicious.
    I also opted to use the half and half and it curdled as soon as I mixed it in. Nothing wrong with eating it still but after doing some research I see that using the heavy whipping cream that's suggested will actually keep it from curdling. The heavier the cream, the less likely to curdle.
    I actually really liked the way the soup tasted pre cream though and I think I will probably make it like that in the future.
    Thanks for all the great recipes Stephanie!

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  44. Anonymous11/21/2009

    ...please where can I buy a unicorn?

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  45. Can I substitute potatoes or something instead of cream. I like to keep things as natural as possible and fat free cream sounds like it's higher in sugars (most fat free are).

    Thanks.

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  46. Hi Terra,

    sure! If you normally use potatoes, give it a try. You can always use regular cream, too.

    --steph

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  47. Thank you, Stepanie! My husband adores GOOD creamy tomato soup (and I emphasize "GOOD"...I cracked up when I read your intro). Anyway, he wanted to take some for a carry-in at work. I was honestly intimidated and read many recipes before settling on yours. I followed your recipe exactly and we both think this soup is absolutely heavenly. A perfect blend of tangy and creamy. It was a hit at the office too...wish I could have been there to see people's faces as they tried to decide whether or not to lick the bowl! Next time I think I'll throw some croutons on top with the parmesan...

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  48. kevswick12/02/2010

    Hi, I love your 365 New years resolution!
    Too many people have crock-pots and don't know what to do with them.
    It seem every time I google something for my slow cooker your site comes up!
    This recipe looks fantastic!
    Bravo to you and all you have done for us crockpot lovers!

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  49. Anonymous1/06/2011

    Made this today - first time I've attempted homemade tomato soup. Pretty good! Not quite restaurant quality but almost. To save time I used canned whole tomatoes as suggested by another comment; chopped them in my food processor. Also didn't realize I was out of onion so I used garlic powder. Served with a grilled ham and swiss sandwich with fresh basil and a parmesan mayo spread. Yummy! Thanks!

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  50. This was delicious! I made it for my new soup and sandwich platters!

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  51. Finally got around to making this- it is SO GOOD. SO. GOOD. Ohmygosh. I wasn't too sure at first b/c it seemed like a lot of sherry and going in it looked more like salsa, but I'm glad I had faith! A few hours and some blender-ing later and it is divine! Reminiscent of the creamy tomato soup at BJ's Restaurant, but less salty- perfect! Love it, thanks for another keeper recipe!

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  52. Hi thanks so much for sharing this recipe (heck for the whole blog, it has saved my bacon on more than one occasion). I started today to make roasted tomato soup, but deep in my heart I knew I wanted to use my beloved crockpot. I have the tomatoes onions and garlic in the oven roasting away, and I thought (dope slap) wow I should check the year of slow cooking blog, surely there is a tomato soup there...and of course here it is. I am going to have to use my blender to make some tomato juice because I don't have any, but no biggie I can handle that lucky for me we sell tomatoes at our produce stand and all the imperfects find their way home with me (wink,wink). SO HAPPY to find this recipe!!!! <3 your blog!!!!!

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  53. Made this last night and it was SO GOOD. I'd never met a tomato soup that I liked before this. Followed the recipe almost exactly but I used veggie bouillon on accident...I also couldn't find 'cooking sherry' so I bought a bottle of the 'real' stuff...whatever the difference may be. My husband, who loves the canned stuff raved about it all night. I'm normally not a fan of chunky anything with tomatoes, but even the chunks were total bliss..thank you so much!

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  54. I have an ongoing tomato soup obsession, too. I want to try this but will leave it chunky to see if the finished product better resembles Pret A Manger...Only thing missing for me is basil...Must have basil! Can't wait to see what sherry does for the flavour. Thanks!

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  55. I found your blog while looking for vegetarian crock pot recipes. I work a night job on Mondays so I have no time between my day and my evening jobs for cooking, so the crock pot is my answer. Usually the only vegetarian options I can find are chile and vegetable soup, but you have so many choices here. Hooray! In the interest of my diet, I only added 1 cup of cream and it was still delicious. (Of course it would have been even better with two cups, but that's how it goes.) I paired it with a faro salad with onions, bell pepper, and feta. Amazing meal! Thanks so much. --Anne

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  56. Is the Sherry used to add a different type of sweetness than the sugar? Or is this a Dry Sherry?

    Has anyone tried a pinch of Stevia instead of the 3T of sugar?

    Also, I've read that Cornstarch can be used as a thickener since it doesn't impart any flavor of it's own, but must be stirred slowly over low to be effective.. not sure if it'll work in a slow cooker.

    I wonder if using a couple purple potatoes and some chia seeds might also be a good thickener?

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  57. Why cooking sherry? I thought you should never use a wine/liquor/ alcohol in a recipe that you wouldnt drink yourself. Thoughts?

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  58. Hi Claudia,

    If you have regular sherry in the house go ahead and use it! The cooking is more economical for someone buying it just for this particular recipe.
    But you are right, don't drink the stuff! ;-)

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  59. Anonymous8/20/2016

    I have a question? Can you make this with the cooking sherry? I don't use it so I don't want to buy it just to try this.

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  60. Hi Anon, sure thing. I'd use 1 cup (minus 1 tablespoon) of really "good" apple cider; the unfiltered stuff found in the produce section and then 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. I hope this helps a bit!

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