Introduction: Tomato Soup
Best tomato soup in the world. I promise you.
This tomato soup recipe includes lots of yummy veggies, delicious herbs, and absolutely no cream or cheese. (It's wonderful without - but if you're feeling brave, add a little in. It can only make it better!) It's super healthy - lots of fiber and very little fat!
It's also a great tomato soup recipe for freezing, too - it makes a ton, so you can probably feed a family twice. Especially if you do tomato soup and grilled cheese. (Which is the best way to eat it.)
Step 1: Ingredients!
- two 28 oz. cans diced tomatoes (low or no sodium is best)
- one small onion
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- one small zucchini
- one small yellow squash
- two small carrots
- 1/4 cup red wine
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- eight cups of veggie stock
- one tablespoon hot sauce of choice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons thyme
- 1 1/2 teaspoons basil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (pick one without salt)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dill
- salt and pepper to taste
- olive oil
Step 2: Dice Your Veggies!
Dice all the veggies down to around the same size - this will ensure they cook nice and evenly. :)
Step 3: Cook the Veggies!
Warm a pan over medium heat and put a couple tablespoons of olive oil in the bottom.
Dump all the veggies in at once and add a pinch of salt. Cook these veggies until they start to get nice and soft - it could take up to ten minutes. Make sure to stir it frequently - you don't want anything to burn!
It shouldn't be too much of a risk, though - the salt will help them release some moisture.
The first picture shows them before they're cooked - the second shows what they should look like when you're done!
Step 4: Add the Herbs & Spices, Then the Wine!
Put all of your herbs and spices in the pot and cook, stirring frequently, until everything is very fragrant. It should only take a minute or two.
Once that's done, deglaze the pan with the 1/4 cup of red wine. Scrape extra hard with a wooden or plastic spoon to get all the yummy bits off the bottom!
Step 5: Add Tomatoes and Broth and Simmer!
Dump in your cans of tomatoes and the eight cups of broth and stir well to combine.
You'll want to bring this up to a boil, and then back down to a simmer. You'll let it simmer at least 30 minutes, but longer is even better. I went about 45 minutes this time. Simmer it without a lid on the entire time - you'll want some of the liquid to evaporate off so the flavors get more intense. :)
Step 6: Turn Off the Heat, Add in Hot Sauce and Soy Sauce!
Stir them into the soup and you're good to start the most difficult bit - blending it up!
Step 7: Blending/processing.
Let it be known that if you have an immersion blender you are super cool and I wish I was you. I will have one of those one day!
If you are not fancy enough to have an immersion blender, process the soup in small batches in a food processor or blender. If you're using a food processor, don't fill it more than halfway full or you'll have a mess on your hands. I learned the hard way. I am impatient. :D
You're looking for a smooth texture, no big chunks! Mine was a teeny bit grainy, and that's fine. Just do what your equipment will allow.
Once everything is processed, return it to the pot to keep it warm!
Step 8: Serve!
It's best served nice and warm with crusty bread or a grilled cheese. :)
If you have leftovers, make sure to freeze them in nice serving sized containers to reheat on nights you're feeling sick or lazy. You'll thank yourself later!
Defrosting tip: start defrosting in the microwave, until you can get the giant tomato soup ice cube out of the container, and then put the whole frozen mess into a saucepan and heat over low until melted and warm - works like a charm, and not hot spots! :D
