Creamy Tomato Soup ~ Dairy Free

Do you or your family have a favorite vegetable that you never tire of eating? We do: tomatoes.  We love eating tomatoes and include them in some form almost all year round. Does it have anything to do with my husband being Italian?  Maybe.  During the summer months a simple cucumber and tomato salad with garlic vinaigrette can be found on our family table. And when the cold season settles in, we add tomatoes to many of our soups. What a blessing for families to be able to can fresh tomatoes from their garden, or from their purchases of a local farmer, for use during the winter months. I so enjoyed being able to preserve home grown vegetables in years past and look forward to it again.

Tomato Facts

 Tomatoes are loaded with vitamins and minerals. If you want another way to ensure you are getting vitamin C, eat some fresh tomatoes. There are many health antioxidant benefits from lycopene found in tomatoes. Studies show it protects against many cancers. WHFoods states that lycopene is extremely beneficial especially when consumed with fat-rich foods such as avocado, olive oil or nuts. This is because carotenoids are fat-soluble. This means they are absorbed into the body along with fats. If you are looking for the most phytonutrient benefits, it is wise to stick to whole, natural foods. Tomatoes can be eaten in many forms, by making your own fermented ketchup, tomato paste, including them in salads, entrées or just eating them whole, just like eating an apple. We enjoy eating them that way.

This recipe that I’m sharing is quite easy to prepare and can be done in such little time. and doesn't require any milk, which I really appreciate.  It only takes minutes to chop the vegetables.  (Make sure you have a sharp knife, it really does help when cutting carrots) .  The original recipe did not ask for celery, but I thought it would be a good way to include sodium without adding it later.  Maybe I will add in leeks next time next time too.  In the past, when I've made this soup I've added some cooked rice at the end, a few minutes before serving.  We prepared a simple meal for last week's Shabbat evening which included this Creamy Tomato Soup, a green salad along with homemade pizza.  We had enough soup left for Shabbat lunch the following day.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 large red onion, diced

4-6 carrots, chopped

2-3 celery stocks, chopped

4 lbs tomatoes (5 14oz cans of diced tomatoes)

4 cups vegetable broth

1 tbsp fresh parsley, basil and other herbs

Directions

• Melt the coconut oil. Add diced onion and cook for about three to five minutes until softened.
• Add chopped carrots, celery and tomatoes along with the vegetable broth (chicken stock can also be used) and herbs and stir ingredients well.
• Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes by first bringing to boil and reducing heat to a gentle simmer. When vegetables are tender remove from heat.
• You have a choice to either purée the soup using a vegetable mill or use a blender. I chose to blend the soup in our Vitamix . Once the soup has been puréed or blended, return to the pot and gently reheat. Add salt and pepper to taste.

For more information on the benefits of the tomato, please visit WHFoods .
The recipe was adapted from The Complete Guide of 400 Soups.


This recipe was shared at:
Tuesday Twister at GNOWFGLINS
Slightly Indulgent at Simply Sugar Free and Gluten Free 
Pennywise Platter at The Nourishing Gourmet

Stay Warm
Blessings ~ Carmen