Who doesn’t love a delicious tomato soup with grilled cheese? Check out this Cream of Tomato Soup that’s easy enough to whip up for a quick weeknight meal.
BY: EA STEWART, MBA, RD
With snow flocking trees across the states (and even a wee bit of snow on the ground in our local San Diego mountains), it’s not exactly tomato season. But that isn’t stopping me from making a warm bowl of this delicious soup during the winter.
Along the Central Coast of California, lycopene-laden, dry farmed tomatoes are still being harvested. If you’re not familiar with the concept, dry farming is growing crops without any irrigation to supplement rainfall. Dry farming works well in California, where farmers have long been facing water shortage challenges.
Dry farming is not only great for water conservation, but it also makes a super delicious tomato. The lack of water forces tomato plant roots to search deep into the soil for water to increase its efforts to produce fruit. The resulting tomatoes are smaller and lower in yield, yet pack a powerful punch in terms of both flavor and texture. This makes them perfect for a luscious roasted tomato soup!
Naturally gluten-free and vegetarian (or vegan if you use a dairy alternative), this soup is rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K, potassium, and quercetin, a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound. Tomatoes are loaded with lycopene, which may help protect against certain cancer types as well as cardiovascular disease.
Dry roasted tomatoes make soups so naturally delicious that there is no need to add much of anything. It’s simply tomatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil, fresh basil, milk and a little salt and pepper! And did you know that cooking tomatoes in oil boosts their lycopene content?
Make this simple soup with the following recipe:
INGREDIENTS
(4 Servings)
- 3 pounds sweet dry farmed or plum tomatoes
- 1 large onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- olive oil for drizzling, approximately 2 tablespoons
- salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1 cup whole or 2 % milk (use almond, rice, or coconut milk for the vegan version)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
- Remove stems from tomatoes and slice in half lengthwise.
- Cut onion in to 8 large chunks and peel garlic.
- Place tomatoes, onions and garlic on two parchment lined baking sheets and drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
- Roast for approximately 40 minutes, then remove from oven to cool for 10 minutes.
- Place roasted tomatoes, onions, and garlic in a blender along with the chopped basil, and blend on high until smooth.
- Add milk or milk alternative to tomato mixture and blend in.
- Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired.
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EA Stewart, MBA, RD is a San Diego-based private practice dietitian and culinary nutritionist with a passion for creating amazing gluten-free recipes to nourish your healthiest life. Focusing on a realistic healthy lifestyle, EA knows that eating is meant to be a shared experience to savor with family and friends. Visit her for more beautifully creative recipes at Spicy RD Nutrition.