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Tomato-Basil Soup
Tomato soup brings me back to my childhood. Whenever I’d go back to school after having stayed home sick, my mom would send me with a thermos of homemade tomato soup, and like magic, it would get me through the day. While I can’t legally claim this will cure any ailments, I do think it has a magic all its own.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: Serves 6-8 1x
- Category: Soups
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 large carrots, diced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped, or 1 tablespoon dried basil, crushed
- 3 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled Roma tomatoes
- 1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Grilled or toasted bread, for serving
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onion, and garlic. Cook for 10 minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the basil and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, chicken broth, and red pepper flakes and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for an additional 25 to 30 minutes.
- Stir in the parsley, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.
- Allow the soup to cool slightly.
- Purée in a blender in batches until smooth.
- Ladle into bowls and serve with grilled or toasted bread.
As a cook aboard ship in the military we often had to improvise some of the recipes. I added 1/4 Philadelphia cream cheese in place of heavy cream. Since I have been eating organically for many years I used organic sugar and added 1/4 tsp molasses. (when sugar is harvested it’s dark and sticky, the dark substance is removed and it’s called molasses). If sugar sounds strange in tomato soup it’s because it neutralizes the tomato acid. Just saying.
Be careful if you grow your own basil and add the fresh dried basil to the recipe. It’s stronger so go easy.
I’m 80 years old so if there is anything I missed or miss lead let me know. I’m old but still love to learn