Roasted Tomato Basil Soup (GF)

Roasted tomato basil soup is one of my favorite comfort foods. When I think of comfort food, I’m thinking of a meal using ingredients that truly bring comfort & health to my body inside & out. This warming soup is perfect for a cozy night in or to bring to a friend with a cold. This recipe will make a big batch, perfect for sharing, eating throughout the week, or partially freezing for instant comfort food at a later date when you need it most. Tomatoes become more nutritionally valuable when cooked because the heat breaks down the cellular walls of the tomato making the antioxidant lycopene more bioavailable. Recipe as follows…

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

-3lb. ripe plum tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise

-1/4 cup cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil (plus a drizzle for later)

-1 tbsp. salt (I prefer sea salt or Himalayan)

-Approximately 1.5 tsp. black pepper

-2 yellow onions, chopped

-4-6 garlic cloves (depending on your love for garlic)

-1 tbsp. unsalted organic grass-fed butter

-1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

-1 28oz. can plum tomatoes with juice (choose a BPA free can)

-4 packed cups of basil leaves

-1 sachet of 3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme (or approximately 1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves)

-1 quart organic chicken broth (which can be subbed for chicken bone broth for added healing properties, or vegetable broth if vegetarian)

Directions:

-Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

-Mix together your cut plum tomatoes, olive oil, salt, & pepper in a large bowl or directly on your baking sheet.

-Spread cut & seasoned tomatoes out onto your baking sheet in one layer, cut side up, & roast for 45 minutes.

-Set a large soup pot, at least 8-qt size, to medium heat & drizzle with olive oil.

-Add butter, onions, garlic, & red pepper flakes to the pot, sautéing for approximately 10 minutes, until onions are translucent (or begin to brown if you like).

-Add in canned tomatoes with juice, basil leaves, thyme, & chicken broth. Stir to combine.

-Add in the oven roasted tomatoes with their pan juices & bring everything to a boil.

-Lower heat & simmer uncovered for 45 minutes.

-Use an immersion blender or blender to bring a smoother consistency, as pictured above.

-Taste and add more seasoning as you please.

I often add a bit of lemon juice, a splash of light vinegar, & a bit of extra cracked black pepper. Feel free to top with additional chopped basil leaves, red pepper flakes, or olive oil. Adding roasted green veggies or a cooked whole grain on top can transform this soup into a full meal. If not, I recommend eating with a large green side salad. Pictured above, I paired the soup with roasted zucchini & soaked brown rice.

Enjoy! Let me know how you end up garnishing your soup.

For your health,

Lily