Tasty Tomato Soup

Well, the first week of school is over so I guess that means summer is on its way out and the fall is approaching… Ugh. Does anyone else out there just wish we could lock summer into the atmosphere under a huge dome and throw away the key? Ok, I said it. Now I am going to practice gratefulness for the amazing forest fire free summer we had and embrace the cooler months to come! Did I mention I wait all year for summer?

When our kids were younger and summer was so busy organizing their lives, summer camps, activities and their food, I was much happier when the new school year rolled around. As our girls grow older, summer days seem so much more chill. Now that they don’t really want to spend time with us and they don’t need us as much, (sniff), we so desperately want to soak up each moment with them! Isn’t life funny? It is certainly a good lesson in appreciating the moment!

Today was the first rain day we have had in ages and it made me feel like it’s time to get down to business in the kitchen. This years consistently hot weather has helped to bring a bounty of produce to our valley. My personal garden didn’t have such a stunning harvest, between the deer helping themselves, too many trees shading my gardens and my irrigation system biting the big one… The vegetable farm I volunteer at however, where we grow food for local charities and non-profits, has had a banner year. (Check details out here) We are swimming in produce and have been averaging 800-900 pounds of vegetables donated each week for the last couple of months! Below is a photo of a few of us this morning harvesting in the rain!

Every year around this time I make either tomato soup or tomato sauce. This year I went for soup. I’m more aware of using less oil now, so I made this recipe completely oil free. The option is there to add oil while roasting the tomatoes but it is plenty flavourful without it.

I posted a recipe for Basil Pesto a few weeks back and thanks to the abundance of basil that we can’t donate or sell fast enough, I now have quite a bit of pesto frozen in little muffin cup portions to pull out and enjoy during the cooler months. We love it in pastas and on homemade pizza, so I figured why not try adding some of it to my tomato soup!

Tomatoes are extremely healthy especially when onions and garlic are added. “Tomatoes are high in lycopene which is a cancer fighting red pigment found most abundantly in the skin. Tomatoes help to lower bad cholesterol, treat seasonal allergies and maybe even lessen the effects of asthma. Cooked tomatoes provide 4 times the amount of lycopene of raw tomatoes.” (Dr. Greger) Click the link to check out his video on why roasted tomatoes are so healthy.

It seems the simpler the better with this soup… You can add the spices you like and if you are missing one or two, don’t sweat it. It’s all about roasting the tomatoes, onions and garlic. Your kitchen will smell like an italian restaurant!!

Tasty Tomato Soup

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Serves: 4-5 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 45 minutes 45 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 pounds of tomatoes (12 or so), halved, skin left on (so nutritious!)
• 2 small onions, chopped in large pieces
• 6-10 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed and halved
• 1/2 tablespoon of the following spices: basil, savoury, oregano, rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1/3 cup veggie broth, or half veggie broth and half oil (to roast tomatoes in)
• 3 cups veggie broth
• 3-4 tablespoons of Basil Pesto (optional)
• a few sprigs of basil for garnish
•  

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees fahrenheit on Roast setting.  
2. Wash tomatoes, slice in half and place in a large roasting pan.  
3. Chop onions and garlic roughly and add to pan.
4. Sprinkle on spices and pour veggie broth and oil (if you like) over mixture.  
5. Roast for 30-40 minutes until bubbly and aromatic. 
6. Remove from oven and transfer to a large soup pot.  Stir three cups of veggie broth into tomato mixture.  Cook for 15 to 20 minutes on medium, stirring occasionally, adding basil pesto (if using).  
7. Turn off heat and allow to cool slightly.  
8. Stir well, then pour half of the soup into a blender and blend.  Blend the second half.  Alternatively you could use an immersion blender, but be careful as it tends to spray the soup out of the pan! 
9. Serve hot with a hearty bread and garnish with basil.  
10. Pour the remainder into glass jars leaving a good 3 inches on top.  These can be frozen for later.  

www.thevibrantveggie.com

Notes

I added balsamic vinegar, but wasn't a huge fan. Your soup will have a nicer orangey red color without it.