Tomato Soup

Tomato Soup By Linda Wagner 

Mmmmmm, I LOVE tomato soup. It really is one of the best things ever! One thing that you may not know is that most restaurant soups (unless made fresh in house) are LOADED with preservatives, high amounts of sodium, and tons of FAT!! Although they may seem like a healthy menu option, often times they are not.

This soup is very low in calories (only 162 per serving!) but full of flavor. The roasted tomatoes will make your house smell like a dream and you can use any leftovers in sandwiches or as a topping for healthy pasta or veggie dishes. Adapted from Everyday Food Light.

Ingredients:

• 8lb plum tomatoes
• 10-12 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 sweet yellow onion (chopped)
• 4 – 5 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon coriander
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 dropperful stevia
• 1 teaspoon organic butter
• fresh cilantro leaves and red pepper flakes as garnish
• course pHresh salt and pepper

For the Roasted Tomatoes: Preheat oven to 450 deg. In a large plastic bag add tomatoes, thyme, enough olive oil to lightly coat, and a generous amount of sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. Close the bag and mix all ingredients together until coated.

Divide tomatoes and thyme onto two baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Roast until tomatoes burst, about 30-45 mins.

This will make about 10 cups of roasted tomatoes.

For the Soup: In a medium sauce pan or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat and add onion, garlic, sea salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent , about 10mins.

Next add cumin and coriander and stir in until well combined and fragrant, about 1 min. Add roasted tomatoes, sugar, and water and let simmer for about 5-7 mins.

Add butter and use a blender or blend stick to puree all ingredients until smooth. Taste, and season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with cilantro and cracked red pepper. A dollup of fresh goat cheese makes a lovely addition as well!