Growing up, I don’t think my mom ever made tomato soup. I don’t remember ever seeing cans of it in the house even. I was on the fence on tomatoes as a kid, so I never felt neglected. It wasn’t until college that I even tried tomato soup with a grilled cheese. A great combination that hits the spot, although it still probably isn’t my favorite soup ever. My husband on the other hand, it is one of his favorites.
This recipe is everything great soup recipe should be. One pot. Minimal effort of chopping. Doesn’t require hours of simmering. Makes a ton to freeze for later. And it’s good for you. With four new inches of snow at my house, this plus grilled cheese will hit the spot.
Enjoy!
Favorite Tomato Soup (Serves at least 12)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 yellow onions, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup carrots, chopped
5 cans no-salt added diced tomatoes, undrained
8 cups tomato juice
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried basil
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
½ – 1 teaspoon black pepper (to taste)
1 ½ cups fat free half and half
1. Heat olive oil in LARGE stockpot over medium heat (this recipe fills my 8 quart stockpot). Saute onion, celery, and carrots for 3-5 minutes, until begins to soften. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minutes. Add in remaining ingredients. Stir.
2. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaves. Puree or blend. Over low heat, add 1 ½ cups fat free half and half. Heat on low until warmed through.
Nutritional Information (Amount per serving):
Calories: 96
Protein: 4 g
Fat: 3 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 1 mg
Carbohydrates: 15 g
Fiber: 3 g
Sodium: 649 mg
Recipe notes: I use an immersion blender, so my soup stays hot while I’m blending. The half and half doesn’t cool it down enough that it needs any warming time. If you are using a regular blender or food processor, you would need to let the soup cool a bit to blend it, then reheat it with the half and half. Whole milk or evaporated skim milk also work instead of half and half. You could make this recipe smaller, but I just like to use up a whole container of tomato juice.
Source: adapted from my college dietetic’s cookbook