Tomato Basil Soup
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Tomato basil soup, a classic combination of taste and health in a bowl, is a must try soup recipe. This recipe of tomato soup is healthy and low in calorie as it doesn’t use any dairy or sugar and uses only 1 tablespoon olive oil. The secret ingredient is carrot which makes the soup naturally sweet and creamy without adding sugar or heavy cream. This recipe uses a combination of fresh tomatoes, carrot, beetroot, and fresh basil to fine balance the taste and ease of cooking. The basil brings nice flavor, while onion, garlic, and pepper give subtle but noticeable spiciness. Also, it is recommended to use olive oil but you can use any cooking oil of your choice.
| Ingredients: |
| 5 large Fresh Tomatoes(2.5 pound, approx. 1 kg) |
| 1 Carrot (approx. 1/2 cup chopped) |
| 1 small piece of Beetroot (approx. 1/4 cup), optional |
| 1 small Onion |
| 3 large Garlic Cloves, peeled |
| 3/4 cup loosely packed Fresh Basil Leaves (or 1 tablespoon dried basil) |
| 1½-2 cups Vegetable Broth or Water |
| 1-2 tablespoons Olive Oil |
| Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste |
| Salt, to taste |
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400F. In this recipe, roma tomatoes are used but you can use any fresh tomatoes as per the availability. Beetroot is used to get the nice deep red color while carrot is used to get the mild sweetness in soup.
- Dice the tomatoes into halves and onion and carrot into big pieces. Arrange all the diced vegetables and garlic in a single layer on a baking tray lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Either drizzle or spread some olive oil using a brush on the veggies.
- Place the tray in a preheated oven and roast the veggies at 400F for 30-40 minutes or until the edges start to turn a little brown. Remove them from the oven.
- Transfer them to a deep pot and add 1½ cups vegetable broth or water (add 2 cups for thin soup) and salt to taste.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium flame. When it comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and let it simmer for 8-10 minutes. Stir in between occasionally.
- Turn off the heat and puree the mixture using an immersion blender (hand blender) or in a mixer grinder or a blender (if you are using a mixer grinder or a blender, let the mixture cool down for a while before making puree).
- When the mixture turns smooth, add 3/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves (or 1 tablespoon dried basil).
- Blend again until smooth. Season with freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Tomato basil soup is ready. Ladle it into individual serving bowls and garnish with basil leaves.
Tips and Variations:
- If fresh basil leaves are not available, use 1 tablespoon dried basil leaves instead.
- Stir in 1/4 heavy cream to make the soup creamy.
- Adjust the amount of vegetable stock (or water) to get the desired consistency of soup.
- Garnish with grated cheese for variation.
Taste: Tangy and creamy
Serving Ideas: Serve it with toasted bread for dinner. Enjoy it as a comfort food to warm up the body during winter. Kids love to have a tangy creamy soup and it’s healthy as well; serve it with cheese sandwich.