Who doesn’t love tomato soup?

Tomatoes are a staple in many global cuisines as they are sweet and offer a “savoriness”, also known as umami.  There’s a reason why we are naturally drawn to tomatoes as they ignite unique taste receptors on the tongue (as umami is our fifth taste sensation along with salty, sweet, bitter and sour).

I recall hot summer days when I was a child and my father would eat a whole ripe tomato with a pinch of salt over the kitchen sink (to catch any of the sweet juice that inevitably dripped down).  To this day, when I bite into a tomato I think of my Dad — little did he know that he was craving tomatoes for a reason.  Tomatoes are jam-packed with vitamin C, lycopene – a powerful antioxidant, and potassium.   All good-for-you things.

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Today, I am going to simply toss whole tomatoes, red bell peppers, fresh basil and low-sodium broth into my Vitamix and puree.  Presto!  Soup will emerge. Without further ado, here’s a soup base you can make easily and refrigerate or freeze and heat up when the hankering for tomato goodness hits…

Spicy Tomato Soup

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Spicy Tomato Soup

Vicki Shanta Retelny, RDN
Loaded with flavor and powerful antioxidants, this tomato soup is a simple and comforting meal anytime of day.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 20 mins
Course Appetizer, dinner, lunch
Cuisine American
Servings 3 1 cup

Equipment

  • 1 chef's knife
  • 1 saute pan
  • 1 cutting board
  • 1 immersion blender or blender
  • 1 stock pot
  • 1 tongs
  • 1 tablespoon

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cloves fresh garlic coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion coarsely chopped
  • 2 spritzes avocado oil spray
  • 10 fresh Roma tomatoes or 2 cans diced tomatoes
  • 1 red bell pepper roasted
  • 6 basil leaves fresh
  • 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth low-sodium
  • 1 tbsp hot paprika ground
  • 1 tbsp cumin ground
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper ground
  • 3 tsp ricotta cheese part-skim

Instructions
 

  • Spray a small skillet with oil. Add in garlic and onions. Sauté for a few minutes or until fragrant and translucent.
  • Cut tomatoes in half and place in the stock pot. Add cooked garlic and onion.
  • Put pepper over the flame of the gas range burner. Rotate with tongs as all sides get charred and flesh softens. Remove from heat when all sides are cooked. Removed blackened skin and add the flesh to the stock pot.
  • Add basil, broth, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper.
  • With the hand held blender, puree all the ingredients together. Put on the stove top over medium heat and allow to cook through.
  • Spoon into bowls and dollop each a teaspoon of ricotta cheese. Garnish with a leaf or two of fresh basil, if desired.

Notes

If using a Vitamix, simply add all ingredients and  choose the "Hot Soup"mode, switch to "Start" and allow machine to complete the programmed cycle. 
If using a regular blender, puree all ingredients and transfer the liquid to a stock pot and heat on the stovetop over medium heat for 10 - 15 minutes. 
Keyword soup, easy recipe, tomato soup, tomato, comfort food, simple recipe

Enjoy eating simply,

-Vicki